The Devil's Redemption
by KennaTheJedi
Summary: A flame fell in love with a drop of water;her grace daggered his heart with hope...but you can't love something you can never touch.Katara is tortured by the Fire Nation for information,just days before Sozin's Comet.But she has one ally in the midst of this dark situation...will the devil redeem himself?
1. Chapter 1

_**The Devil's Redemption **_

_**A Zutara fanfiction by YouAreBeautifulxxx**_

_**Alert: This fanfic takes place a few days before Sozin's Comet. ZUKO STOPPED PURSUING AANG AFTER IROH WAS INJURED BY AZULA. **_

_**I do not own any of the characters or Avatar: The last airbender. **_

_**Enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 1-Capture **_

_**Zuko P.O.V**_

"Prince Zuko, your father sends a message."

"What is it?"

"The waterbender friend of the Avatar has been captured. The Fire Nation troops found her in a city not far from here. She is going to be presented in front of Fire Lord Ozai and tried for treason. You are demanded to make an appearance."

The watertribe girl? I thought as I stared blankly at the girl. Katara would not be so stupid as to let herself get captured like that. I had my experience battling her, and she wasn't the least bit ignorant. Not that I'm calling her intelligent…I'm not, but anyway.

The guard stared at me, wondering if he was going to get an answer.

"I will attend this little…trial. Now leave."

I gave the guard a dark glare and he sped away down the hallway quickly. Even though I was the banished prince, the guards still had some kind of fear of me. Maybe it was the scar. It did scare a load of people away. As I sat down on my silk bed, I couldn't help but dreading this trial. The last time I had seen Kata-I mean, the watertribe peasant, I had screamed at her to go away. Surely her feelings towards me weren't exactly…pleasant.

The clock struck twelve, causing me to jump a little bit.

Well, it's now or never.

Katara P.O.V

The Fire Nation is exactly as I imagined it as.

Pale, stuck-up people trotting around the streets, while I was being _dragged_ to the kingdom in chains. It was my own fault I guess; I was trying too hard to search for edible food and ran into some Fire Nation troops. How very foolish of me! My father would be disappointed in me. I shook this thought out of my head as the guard pulled my chains forward.

No use dwindling on the past when I was probably about to be killed.

Women in the streets covered their mouths in disgust when they saw me. I suppose I was like a maggot to them; dirty, bad odor, dark-skinned, and trouble. They were all stiff and mysterious, while I was flexible and evident. They were obsessed with honor (cough, Zuko, cough) and I was obsessed with water. Not that any of that mattered…I'm just trying to find something else to think about before I meet my untimely death.

"Hurry up skank."

I gave the Fire Nation guard a glare, but started to walk faster as we approached the castle of Ozai. This place really needs some other colors besides red and orange; if you were new here, you would probably think it's a cult or something weird like that. The guards shoved me forward as they opened the doors in the stone palace.

Again, it was exactly what I expected.

The windows were draped with silk, red curtains, with a picture of Azula and Ozai off to the side. No pictures of Zuko were to be seen. I did find, however, a picture of Iroh, with who must have been his son. He still had that jolly smile on his aurous face. Normally, I would have smiled; but since I had chains digging into my flesh, I managed to hold it back.

I didn't have time to look at the rest of the pictures and artifacts, because one of the guards crushed his stick on the back of my head, causing me to fall to the ground in pain. An extremely loud thumping noise started pounding in my brain as I struggled to see clearly. Someone jerked me back up onto my feet, my feet stumbling over one another.

"You think the past few weeks have been bad girl? Well just wait until you see Ozai."

The other guard laughed, "Yeah! Wait till you see Ozai!"

I rolled my eyes, wondering if the other guards ever got annoyed with him repeating everything they said. The thought quickly evaporated from my mind as we inched closer and closer to the door which would lead me straight to the Fire Lord in which Aang would have to fight in a few days time.

"Open the doors."

My chest was heaving as I realized I was about to look into the eyes of one of my greatest enemies.

The doors opened, and I was again pushed forward.

It wasn't just Ozai that was in the room like I expected. There was numerous families crowded around the edges of the ball room, their mouths whispering what I was sure was foul things about me. There was about ten older looking men standing beside the throne, with very stern and angry looks on their faces. As I scanned the room, I found a very malicious pair of eyes looking at me.

Those eyes, of course, belonged to Azula.

She had a evil smirk on her narrow face as I locked eyes with her.

If there was anyone I hated more that Ozai, it was Azula.

I turned away from her, trying to find someone else to distract myself with. The person I next locked eyes with wasn't who I wanted to see at all. Zuko. He stood a few feet away from his uncle, who sadly, was standing next to his niece, with no emotion on his face at all. Prince Zuko; the boy who spent so long chasing after us, determined to get his honor back.

Honestly, I knew he was never going to get it back.

I understood his father on a weird level. I understood his mind; his sick, twisted mind. Even if Zuko did bring Aang back to him, there was no way he was ever going to restore his only son's honor! That's just the kind of person I knew him to be. Zuko disgraced him in front of a bunch of people (or so I hear); bringing him the avatar isn't nearly enough for Ozai to give him honor.

Deep inside, I understood Zuko too.

If my father had did what Zuko's father did to him, I would probably spend my whole life getting my honor back too. I would want to prove everyone wrong, just like he wanted too. Not saying his actions were just, but I'm only saying that I get it.

The guards stopped me just short of Ozai's throne. Fire Lord Ozai really was as ugly as he looked on posters. His nose was like a fishing hook. I bet he could sniff up a whole bowl of soup with that thing. His face was pure white, but there was still something about it that made it look blood red. Probably the hatred he had for everyone who had more power than him. The look in his eyes was more than wicked; it was malignant.

"Welcome to the Fire Nation young waterbender. How are you liking it here so far?

I scanned the ceiling, shrugging a bit.

"It could use a little more color to be honest. It's kind of depressing in here."

Ozai had the hint of a smile on his face.

"I can see why your wife left this place."

The hint of the smile disappeared.

What have I got to lose? If I'm going to die, at least I die while being sassy.

"Do you know why you're here peasant?"

"I have a good idea, yeah."

"Humor me." Ozai said, holding his hands on his lap. I noticed Zuko staring at me from the corner of my eyes. "Well, I think I'm here because your son unsuccessfully captured the avatar because of me and a few other people protecting him. It's not like you want your son's honor to be restored, but you just want something to distract the people from the embarrassment that came to you that day." I replied, seeing people in the room start to whisper. I was starting to have fun with this.

"So you had me kidnapped and brought me here to try and squeeze the information about the whereabouts of Aang-I mean, the avatar, out of me so you can kill him. Am I right?"

The room was dead silent as everyone peered back at the Fire Lord to see his response.

His jaw was clenched and his black eyes squinted down at me.

"You are being tried with treason against the Fire Nation. If convicted, the penalty may include death or life in the Fire Nation prisons. Do you deny your actions?"

Hatred filling up inside of my heart, I cleared my throat.

"No."

I was proud to have been an ally and friend to Aang. I would never deny that. Hopefully, he can use my death as another reason to defeat Ozai. Speaking of Ozai, he was now staring at me hard, with a scary look in his eyes. The words rolled off his lips like poison.

"Would you like to apologize for what you have done?"

Something in that moment snapped inside of me.

"Yeah, I would actually! I want to apologize to the poor citizens of the Fire Nation, who have to put up with your shit every day. I want to apologize to your wife, who saw the darkness in your heart and left you all alone with your psychotic daughter. I want to apologize to Iroh, who deserves _so much more_ than what he gets. Mostly though, I want to apologize to Zuko."

I turned my head at him, locking my blue eyes with his yellow ones.

"Zuko, I am so sorry you had to have him as a father. I've seen that hint of good in you…but it's been so blindsided by emotional pain and arrogance that it's hard to find. I still believe that you could have turned out to be a good person if it hadn't been for him. Just remember that for me…you owe me that much."

Zuko's eyes were glistening with something I had never seen in him before. It almost looked like…respect. He may have hurt me and disappointed me, but I have still have hope that he can turn his life around. I smiled as I looked at him; I never would have imagined that this would be my last thought. Zuko can still turn his life around.

I must have gotten hit in the head harder than I thought.

Why had I said that?! Zuko was one of my arch enemies! He had chased us for months and months and now I was saying he could be redeemed?! A small voice in the back of my mind spoke to me as Zuko and I continued to stare at each other.

_You know there is something else Katara. Something special about him that you admire._

"So you can beat me and torture me all you want Ozai…but nothing can make up for the pain you have caused every single person on this planet. Killing the avatar will not make you a hero. It won't change _one thing _about you."

With that, I flipped the water in the bowl next to Ozai up into the air, and brought it across right in a whip against his cheek.

If you think Zuko angry is frightening, wait till you see Ozai.

Holy shit, would be the only way to describe it.

"TAKE HER TO THE DUNGEONS IMMEDIATELY!"

An object was wailed at my head, and the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

_**I'm glad you all like it so far! I'll keep up the good work :)**_

_**Chapter 2-We Meet Again**_

_**Katara P.O.V**_

Well, I must say I've been in worst situations.

Can't think of any right now but…

The guards led me down to the dungeons, but they didn't take me to my cell right away. We headed down a darker hallway right past the cells, back into an even darker room. Millions of questions raced through my mind as I was thrown down onto the cold, stone ground. It appeared that there was dry blood from someone else stained on the ground.

_Not a good sign._

"I don't think your Fire Lord would be very pleased with you if you disobeyed orders."

The taller looking guard stepped out from the shadows with a smirk on his face. "But we _are _obeying orders little girl." He replied. A bad feeling rose inside of me, like I almost knew what was coming next. I scanned the room for any source of water I could find. There was none to be found. Two more guards appeared, one of them with a red, narrow whip in his hand.

"It's time we give you a proper Fire Nation welcome."

Fear was filling my mind and body, but I refuse to let it show.

It couldn't hurt that bad…could it? I had seen people get whipped before; they had usually died after it, but still. Ozai needed me for information about Aang, he wouldn't kill me on the first day, would he? My heart was pounding out of my chest as the man slowly walked his way over to me. _You're going to be fine Katara, _I told myself, even though I wasn't a hundred percent sure I was going to be okay.

Blood spurted out onto the floor on the first lash.

The crackling noise of the whip connecting with my back will be in my nightmares forever. It reminded me of the time Sokka but a fire cracker in my bed when we were little. The only difference being that the fire cracker made me laugh. I closed my eyes in pain when the burning sensation set it. I could almost feel my skin being dissolved into nothing.

Another snap.

My arms were shaking violently, my legs even worse. No matter how much I tried not to show weakness, I think they already knew how much pain I was in. The blood was now dripping off of my clothes and onto the floor. It had only been two lashes, and I had a terrible feeling it was only the beginning.

I hated being right.

Imagine this:

Being pinched with a burning hair clip that has razors on it.

That's what it felt like to be whipped over fifty times.

My back was beginning to feel numb after thirty, but the shearing pain was still able to get to me. I begged my mind to just stop thinking about the pain. I found myself struggling to think of anything else at the moment. I really don't like the Fire Nation's welcome. My arms had collapsed long ago, so I was now lying on the cool ground, which was my only consolation. I only had one thing to be proud of: I did not scream once.

The Fire Guard leaned down and whispered in my ear.

"Welcome to the Fire Nation peasant."

With that said, he kicked me right in the gut.

The entire area where he kicked exploded with pain. I wasn't sure, but I was certain I heard something crack. Like when you snap your fingers, except a lot louder. I tried to pull myself up to defend myself, but I was again kicked to the ground. _Stay strong, _I mentally yelled as my upper lip bit down on my lower one. Great, now another part of my body was bleeding. 

_Please, just let it end!_

Everything was quiet.

No more blood was heard splattering to the floor, no more cracks of bones were either. I found myself being lifted up off the floor and drug out of the room, which was now painted with a red liquid. My wounds were still fresh; I found this out as the men threw my rag-doll body into the cell. My eyes were finding it hard to focus on anything other than the dirt lying on the ground of the cell.

"This is just the beginning. Just you wait."

There was something in his voice that I can only describe in one word.

Evil.

I heard the click of the cell door being locked, and the only source of light I had was shut off. The darkness overtook me immediately, filling my swimming thoughts with nothing but dread. I tried unsuccessfully to sit myself up so I could breath properly. It felt as if my chest had block the airway with my rib that had been broken. As I sat there heaving, something caught the corner of my eye.

It was blurry, yes, but I could still make out the light creeping in from the small crack in the upper corner of my cell. The light from the moon. A small smile appeared upon my lips; it was Yue. At least she was here and knew I wasn't doing too hot. The little light sent a quick spark of something through my mind.

Then it all went black.

Zuko P.O.V

"Sneaking out, are we my dear nephew?"

As always, my uncle knew what I was going to do even before I did. I sighed and let go of the door handle. How did he know that I would go to Katara? I didn't even like her! She was my enemy! At least, I thought that was the message I always sent to him about Katara. My short uncle smiled up at me, "I've gone with enough adventures with you Zuko to know that you've grown to care for the girl. I must say, I am quite found of her as well." He replied to me.

My eyes grew wide and I could feel myself blushing.

"I don't care for her!"

"What ever makes you sleep at night nephew."

I sighed, knowing I was getting nowhere with him. He was so stubborn sometimes! "Anyway…I'm just going to see if their punishment was harsh enough for her. That's all." I said darkly, even though I really didn't mean it. Uncle Iroh shook his head at me and walked towards me. "Don't even try that tough talk with me Zuko." He said, putting the key into the door handle.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're coming with?"

"Of course! I know you're thinking what I'm thinking. They have indeed did something terrible to her, and I would like to help her."

The door opened quietly, and my uncle winked at me.

"I like an adventure now and then."

I smiled and through my hood over my head, heading into the dark hallway with my uncle. We had to be extremely quiet, since everyone else in the entire house was sleeping. The guards were only at my father's door, since Sozin's comet was approaching. My room was two hallways away from his, thank goodness, so we didn't have to worry about them. Just as we made our way to the end of the staircase, voices started coming around the corner.

"Get back!"

I pushed Iroh back into the shadows, then ducked behind a curtain.

Light filled the room and the voices were bouncing off the walls. I held my breath, hoping they would just pass by without noticing anything. A few seconds later, they were gone and I started breathing again. "Uncle?" I asked, not seeing him come out of the shadows. A creepy chuckle came out from where he was hiding, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"This is serious Uncle!"

"Lighten up my dear nephew! You have your whole adult life to be serious!"

He came out of the shadows with a big grin on his wrinkled face.

"You're never serious!"

Iroh merely shrugged and continued on down the hallway. He was so…frustrating sometimes! I shoved the thought out of my mind and followed him. We made our way down to the dungeons without anymore interruptions. It was pitch black in there, so I lit a small fire on the tip of my finger. "Which one do you think she's in?" I whispered to my uncle, who was trotting close behind me.

"The one at the end."

I swiftly walked down the aisle, peering into every cell, none with Katara in them. When I made it to the end, my light shined on an unmoving, bloody body. Many memories came flooding back to me. The most recent one being when Katara apologized to me for having a father like Ozai. I remembered when I first laid eyes on her; she had surprised me. I expected the Avatar to have an old, wise woman as his waterbending teacher. Not a young, naïve girl! She had surprised me with her skills though…Katara used more emotion and feeling than I expected her to. It reminded me of myself.

"How are we going to get in?"

"Would this key help?"

I rolled my eyes for the second time that night.

"Yes."

He grinned and opened the door that gave us access to Katara. I walked over to her, leaning down to observe her wounds.

They were even worse than I had expected. She had over thirty lashes across her back, all of them already looking infected. The blood was dark and thick, still dropping onto the ground, where the pool of the rest of her blood had fallen. Iroh came over to her and I saw his face drop. "This is grave indeed." He said in a hushed voice.

He put his hand on her shoulder gently, shaking her slightly.

"Katara? Can you hear my voice?"

I stared at her pale face, waiting for her to pop up and start talking about hope.

But she didn't.

Iroh frowned again and took a water pouch out of his pocket. "She is able to heal herself, correct?" He asked me. I was too occupied with Katara's wounds to answer him. I knew what it felt like to be burned, but to be whipped repeatedly? And be a girl besides? It was a miracle that she was even alive! I found my thoughts wandering to imagining what it would be like to be Katara.

"Zuko!"

"What?"

"Can she heal herself?"

"Yeah, if she has water."

Uncle held up his water pouch and laid it on the ground. "If she could just wake up…" He trailed off, looking up to me for help. I knew what he was asking me to do…I just didn't want to do it. Katara may have saved my life plenty of times, but she was still my enemy. I should let her die! Then Aang would be too depressed to defeat my father.

No…I couldn't do that.

I may be a bad person, but I'm not that bad.

Leaning down by Katara's ear, I started to talk.

"Katara…it's Zuko. I know I'm probably not the person you want to see right now, but I really need you to wake up, okay?"

Katara did not move.

"Please wake up Katara. You have to wake up so you can get better and help Aang."

I knew how much Katara cared for the little twerp, so I included him. Laying a hand on her face gently, I got a few inches closer to her, begging her to open her eyes.

"Just open your eyes Katara…open your eyes."

We sat there for a few seconds in complete silence, the tension hanging in the polluted air. The bluest, brightest eyes I have ever seen appeared in the darkness. There was sadness and tiredness in them as she looked up at me. "Z-Zuko?" Katara whispered, staring at me blankly. I gave her a hint of a smile and nodded, "Yeah, it's me." I answered, stabilizing her with my hand.

"What…why are you here?"

I knew she didn't mean it in a bad way, but that's the way I took it.

"Helping you, you should be thankful."

Uncle Iroh rolled his eyes at me and put a hand on Katara's side. "Don't mind him dear. I brought something for you." He said, showing her the pouch of water. A flash of excitement showed in her glowing eyes. She tried to sit up, but to no avail. I put an arm around her, hoping to help her, but my hand accidently grazed her worst back wound. Katara moaned and gritted her teeth, holding back a yell. "Sorry, I didn't mean to, I just…" I trailed off, taking my hand off her. "Oh don't worry, it's totally fine!" Katara hissed at me, sending me a glare with her piercing eyes. I sent her one back, "I was just trying to help!" I said loudly, losing my temper.

"Silence, both of you!"

We both shut our mouths and looked at Iroh.

"Zuko," he started. "Stand behind Katara and hold her up with her shoulders, okay?"

Through gritted teeth, I responded.

"Fine."

I stood behind Katara and pushed her shoulders up so she was sitting upright. She was extremely tensed up; I don't know if it was from the pain, or if it was the fact that I was touching her. Iroh poured the water into her hands, and we both watched as she created a glowing ball of water. It was difficult for her to reach behind her, but somehow she managed. I observed her fluid motions, tracing the water up and down her back.

Within seconds, her entire back looked so much better.

The blood was gone, and so were the wounds. When Katara was finished, it was almost as if she had never been whipped. I saw my uncle smile in amazement; I was impressed too, but I was just better at hiding it. I let her shoulders go and sat down a few feet away. "Does that feel better?" Uncle asked her. Katara nodded and closed her eyes in relaxation.

"Much better. Thank…"

Katara didn't get to finish her sentence.

Instead of thanking us, she passed out right onto my lap.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3-Opps**_

_**Katara P.O.V**_

Let's see what I learned in school today:

If, for some reason, a tree branch was slammed into your hand multiple times, the tissue surrounding the hand muscles will split open, revealing your bone. If you ever happen to be in this situation, cover your hands immediately. Unless of course, your hands are bound behind your back with some kind of hot metal. If this is the case, your hands are soon to be destroyed forever.

My hands were now completely numb from the recent beating I received in the early morning. The guards were leading me back to my cell, grins on their faces. My right hand was the worst; the bone was nearly showing, popping up from underneath the hanging flesh. I couldn't figure out how they got that tree branch! From what I saw yesterday, there weren't any trees in sight. My thoughts quickly forgot about the why, and started thinking about the how.

How was I going to survive?

_If they keep up the beatings like this, I'll be dead within a few days, _I thought to myself, having a eerie feeling that if I said it loudly in my head that someone would hear. They threw me violently into the cage, slamming the door loudly. There was a terrible ringing noise in my ears, which made the pain in my hands seem even worse.

"What's the date?"

The younger, un-experienced guard looked over at me.

"Well it's two weeks before Sozin's Comet…so about the fifth teen."

What?! Sozin's Comet was _two weeks _away?! Had we counted wrong? Did I read the calendar wrong when we were last in town? My mouth nearly dropped open from shock. Aang has to have figured this out. He's a bright kid, plus maybe the other Avatars told him. Opps.

The older guard smacked the younger one's head, "You idiot!" he yelled, making the other prisoners stir in their sleep. They always slept. The only one who needed sleep was me, and I never got any of that unless I was knocked out. The older guard gave me a glare when I slipped up and tried to sneak a smile in there. He laid his hands on his keys and sent me a threatening glimpse.

"Think that's funny do you? We'll see how funny it is when your hands are so bloody it doesn't even look like you have 'um."

My heart beat sped up as he started to unlock the cell door.

"There will be none of that general."

I knew that voice all too well; sure enough, Zuko came walking down the hallway. The guards both instantly stood up straighter and the fear was visible in their eyes. Zuko had a very dark look on his face as he spoke. "There will be no un-fair treatments here gentlemen. Do I make myself clear?" He hissed in their faces. They both nodded and scurried away like little cats. He wasn't _that _scary. I would know. Zuko looked down at me, his facial expressions changing from anger to sympathy. Something you don't see very often in his eyes.

"Are you alright?"

"Well beside the excruciating pain in my hands, yeah."

He opened my creaky cell door and leaned down beside me, taking my battered hands in his. It was strange to feel his hands; they were a lot softer and more delicate than I expected. I wasn't about to tell him this information, because, knowing him like I do, he was be extremely offended by this. He might even hit me or something!

"Does this hurt?"

Zuko grazed a single finger against the-well, I don't know what part of my hand it was considering it was covered in bloody skin-upper part of my right hand. I yelped loudly as the dreadful, stinging feeling went through my hand. Why did he torment me like this?! I squeezed my eyes tightly, trying not to show emotion in front of him. Probably too late for that.

Zuko gave me an apologetic look for the first time.

"Sorry."

I wasn't one of those people to say it was "fine" when it really wasn't, so I just didn't reply. He let go of my hands and motioned for me to get up. "Come on, let's go." Zuko commanded. "Why? Are you going to sell me to your men so they can victimize me more?" I asked sarcastically. He glared at me as we sped down the hallway. "No. You're trail is today." My heart dropped a few inches down my chest. The trail to determine my sentence, or if I would even have a sentence.

"Oh."

"Not so smart-ass now are you?"

I rolled my eyes and followed him up the stairs. I could escape. He wasn't paying attention to me! If a fight did go down, maybe I could beat him. It had been a while since our last battle, but I think I could manage it. "I wish I could trust you." I replied in a serious tone. We had reached the top of the stairs, and Zuko stopped, staring over at me.

He must have grown since our last meeting, because I felt like a midget next to him.

I stared at his golden-eagle eyes for what seemed like forever. Sometimes I imagine what Zuko looked like without his scar. Would things be different if he didn't have it? "I…" He started to say, but I waved him off. "Forget it; I'm gunna die soon anyway, so it doesn't even matter if we're friends." I said, breaking eye contact. Zuko continued to stare at me as we stood there awkwardly in the doorway.

"Listen Katara…I wish things could be different between us. I really do; If I could ever find a way to make it up to you, I could."

He put his hand on my lower back and started to push me forward.

If my mind was correct, Zuko just…apologized to me.

What?!

I didn't have much time to think about it however, because we had reached the end of a dark hallway where there was a black door. This must be the place. "Do you think you could act like I hurt you?" Zuko shamefully asked me. I sighed, figuring it couldn't hurt anything.

"Fine, but only because I'm a nice person."

Zuko flashed a rare smile and pushed open the doors.

"Ow! Stop it! You're hurting me!"

I struggled in Zuko's tight grip as he led me down the long, granite floor. Ozai was sitting in a huge throne, surrounded by about forty other Fire Nation generals. The room had a certain atmosphere in it that made you feel like someone was going to jump out and scare you. Zuko dragged me to the middle of the room and chained my hands to the ground. He leaned forward to my ear and whispered something before walking away.

"Good luck Katara."

HIs hot breath shivered my spine down to the bone.

"Katara of the Watertribe. This trail is for your sentence of imprisonment for your treason against the Fire Nation."

Treason?! First of all, the Fire Nation aren't the freaking rulers. They may seem like it because they're violent and cruel, but they aren't, and everyone knows it. Second of all, wouldn't it be treason against my tribe since I'm a waterbender? Some people were just so ignorant.

"You involvement with the Avatar-"

"Aang."

He sent me a glare and continued.

"Your involvement with the Avatar has caused widespread disaster everywhere. You will be asked a question by whomever wishes to ask one from the court. Is this all clear?"

"Crystal."

"Let us begin."

It was very hard to see everyone in the room. The only light source was the blood-red candles that only gave off so much light in certain areas. Once in a while the light would reflect off of someone's eyes, then you would realize you had been staring at them for the past ten minutes.

The first person to speak up, a very old man, stood up at the end of the seats.

"Do you regret your involvement with the Avatar?"

I will say nothing but the truth.

"No, I do not regret it."

The second man stood up.

"Were you aware that if you helped the Avatar, that you would be going against the Fire Nation?"

"Yes, I was very aware of the fact."

Zuko P.O.V

Did she have any idea what she was doing?!

She was saying everything the people _didn't _want to hear! Due to her beauty, some of the men were hoping she would take everything back so she would be free. Then they could have the opportunity to fight for her. It was sick, but that's how they were. Did I just call Katara beautiful?!

"I have a proposal for you water peasant; we can drop all charges against you if you agree to this. You will go back to your little tribe and forget all about helping the Avatar. You do this, and no harm will come to you or your family. What do you say?"

_Please Katara…_

Katara shot a glance at me, as if she knew what I was thinking.

"No."

My father gritted his teeth and nodded sharply. "So be it. I hereby sentence you to-"

"Excuse me my dear brother, but I do believe you have forgotten the other two members of the council."

Everyone turned their heads towards my uncle, who somehow, had a smile on his face. He motioned to Azula and myself. "Technically, they are part of the council also. It wouldn't be fair to have them not speak!" He argued. I looked back up at my father, who knew he was defeated. Azula and I, being his children, were automatically on the council.

"Very well. Azula, do you have anything to say?"

My sister gave Katara a terrible smirk.

"Only that I hope she rots away in prison."

My father laughed in a completely fake way. I knew that he just didn't want Katara to die for helping Aang; he wanted her to suffer.

"Zuko?"

My heart stopped and everyone peered down at me. I could feel the pressure of the entire situation being thrown upon my shoulders. Katara looked over at me, the doubt filling her eyes. She looked away and faced the ground, apparently accepting defeat. I cleared my throat and spoke up.

"Katara-I mean- the water peasant- should have to prove herself."

Ozai seemed interested (for once) about what I had to say.

"If she can prove herself acceptable in living amongst our people, the death penalty will not come to her. Think about it; if she gets the death penalty, the water tribe will rebel. Ciaos will erupt and war will rage even more than it already does."

The silence hung in the air like a hanging body in the gallows.

My heart was nearly pounding out of my chest when my father opened his mouth.

"Very interesting Zuko…very interesting idea."

Katara looked up to see what he was about to decide.

"Very well. If you are able to prove yourself an acceptable citizen at our royal ball next week, you will not receive the death penalty. This trail is adjourned."

I nearly passed out from the breath I had been holding in.

**Ooooo, a dance with Zuko! This is going to be interesting… ;) **

**Review please xxxx**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4-Surprises in the Dark**_

_**Katara P.O.V**_

I thought of Zuko.

Zuko may have just saved my life today. Why would he do that?

Questions swerved left and right inside of my head as I sat there in the corner of my now pitch black cell. I didn't want to sleep, because when you close your eyes, the darkness takes over. I don't just mean literal darkness; I mean the fear-filled, no hope darkness. So I sat there with my eyes burning for the three hours, rocking back and forth to keep my blood flowing. If I don't keep it flowing, I may just freeze to death.

Or the darkness will take over.

After avoiding death this afternoon, the guards had dragged me back to my cell, leaving me all alone with my confused thoughts. Zuko has never done anything nice to me before; why now? Why did he value my life? His father was going to try to kill Aang…Zuko had lost his chance to deliver him straight to his father, so why does he care what his waterbending teacher's fate is? I just didn't understand. Even after putting myself in his shoes and thinking of every possible reason he might have to save me, I came up with absolutely nothing.

My body started shivering and I curled myself up in a tighter ball.

Honestly, I don't think I have ever felt colder…and I live in a freaking frozen ice land. _Lived, _I should say. My lips were plastered together, along with my toes and fingers. The coldest thing was probably my heart though. I know, I know; I'm not a cruel or terrible person, but I just had this terrible guilt feeling overwhelming me for some strange reason.

Another reason why you do not close your eyes.

"I would like to speak to the waterbender."

"At this time-I mean, yes Prince Zuko."

For the first time in hours, I heard voices. Somehow I managed to look up, even though I knew I would see nothing but darkness. The cell door creaked open, a sound that I usually dreaded hearing. Footsteps echoed through the room, and the cage was closed. I waited for him to speak, although I didn't know if I would be able to understand him if he did. Nothing was really making sense to me anymore.

"How are you?"

Blood trickled down my lips as they split open.

"Grand. How is the magnificent Prince Zuko today?"

Fire light up the entire cell, revealing Zuko's stern face.

"I'm fine. You know, you really should have more respect to someone who just saved your life."

He whispered the last few words, in fear that the guards or other cell mates would hear him. I licked my cracked lips and stared at him coldly(literally). "I might respect you more if I only knew _why _you did." I answered plainly. "I've tried thinking of every possible reason you said that…nothing stands out." Zuko's facial expression changed to something I couldn't read. It almost looked like confusion.

What happened next surprised me.

Seemed like he was always surprising me.

Zuko created a small fire in the middle of the cell (Don't even ask me how that's possible on concrete floor). He then sat down next to me, looked down at the floor and said, "I don't even think I know why I did it." There was a certain tone in his voice that calmed me. This sensation alarmed me. His heat was venting off of his body and colliding with mine, giving instant relief to my frozen limbs. I wonder if he's always this hot.

That sounded really bad, so I pushed the thought out of my head and looked at him.

"Well can you at least tell me why you're here right now then?"

I said it in a nicer tone, since he was borrowing me his warmth. Zuko peered up at me, his scar lit up by the glow from the flames. It really wasn't that bad honestly; to me it just appeared as a patch of dry skin. "I-I just wanted to see if you were okay. Your hands, I mean." He said, motioning to my raw hands. I hadn't been able to feel the blistering, since frostbite had numbed it out a bit. If I ever do get out of this situation, I don't know if I will be able to heal them.

This thought worried me.

"Well, how do _you_ think they look?"

I stiffly lifted my hands up to show him. I've seen many sympathetic expressions before, but I think Zuko's just beat them all out. He instantly grabbed both of my wrists, which got the blood flowing again, and brought them up to investigate. I ignored the pain; I was too busy watching Zuko change from concerned to angry.

Zuko P.O.V

I was so angry.

I couldn't even put it into words. The blistering on Katara's hands was now black from the effect of the frostbite, while the skin that had been peeling off was now just a dead piece of skin hanging off like a booger from your nose. She must be tougher than I thought; honestly, if that were my hands, I would have thrown up from just the look of them. They were starting to smell bad also.

Through gritted teeth, I managed to speak.

"Doesn't this hurt?"

"Oh yeah…especially when you're gripping them so tightly."

I realized how tight of a grip I had on them and let go. "Sorry it's just…I've never seen something so…" I trailed off, not knowing what to call it. Katara flashed me a grin, "Disgusting? Repugnant? Nauseating?" she suggested, laughing as she did so. I gave her a weird look; how could she be laughing at a time like this?! Katara could be dead next week, her hands are nearly falling off, and she's _laughing? _Katara noticed I was staring at her and her face got dark.

"What?"

"You're so weird."

Animosity filled Katara's eyes.

"_I'm_ weird? Zuko, you and I are enemies and in the past few days you've helped me heal myself _and _I'm pretty sure you just saved my life today. We completely _despise _each other and yet, you choose to be here right now. Who's the _real _weird one?"

As Katara lectured me, she was waving her hands around like an animal, but pulled back when she clipped one against the wall. I watched her draw her hand back like a whip and lay them on her lap. It was then that I realized how bad of shape Katara was really in. The fire light up the room for a split second, and I got a glimpse of what it was like to be a waterbender in prison.

Katara's hair was out of its usual ponytail and matted with blood and hanging in her face. Her face was pale for her complexion with numerous cuts and bruises covering it. Besides that, Katara's entire body was shaking and quivering uncontrollably. It was an awful sight, even for someone like her. By that, I mean my enemy.

But was she my enemy?

This was the girl that had offered me numerous times to heal my scar. That was usually how they ended up getting away, now that I think of it. In the middle of a battle, she would randomly bring it up, knowing it would distract me.

"I guess you're right."

"I am."

I sighed at her comment and scooted closer to her. This was the wrong move. Katara's head snapped up and she jumped up from her spot on the floor and went to the middle of the cell. I glared at her, "What? I was just trying to keep you warm! You should really appreciate-" Wrong thing to say _again _Zuko! Get it together! Katara's nostrils flared and she gave me the darkest glare I have ever seen. Keep in mind that my father is Ozai. I've had my share fair of glares.

"How dare you-"

Katara didn't have time to finish her speech.

With her blood probably not flowing correctly due to the cold, her balance wasn't great. Her footing slipped and she had no strength to stop herself from falling into the fire. I jumped up and grabbed her, inches before the tips of her hair caught the fire. My hand froze when I touched her, my hand firmly around her waist. Katara looked up at me, a shocked look on her face.

I must say, I was surprised too.

_Should have just let her burn, _I thought, still holding her awkwardly. _It would have been a quicker death than what was sure to come._

"Thank you."

I stared down at her smooth face.

"Don't count on me to always save your life."

Katara P.O.V

My goodness.

This kid would be the death of me.

I have never seen someone so…bipolar! Honestly!

Zuko pushed me back onto my feet, leaving the spot where his hand was warm. I stared at him, not sure what to think. He reached into his pocket and held out something for me. "Take this." Zuko grumbled, barely giving me a second to hold out my hand before dropping it. With that, he pushed open the cell door, and was gone.

Not wanting to get my thoughts riled up, I looked down at the object.

It was a small pouch of water.

My heart sped up, but for a different reason.

Someone else was walking down the hallway towards my cell.

Quickly, I stepped on the fire until it was completely out, not wanting to get Zuko in trouble. Somehow I could still see the smoke through the darkness, and I knew time was running out before the person arrived. Not knowing what else to do, I sat down on the hot spot. The cell opened for the second time that night. The person's face was not visible, but I knew exactly who it was when they spoke.

"I've got you waterbender. You may be able to fool a few people but not me. You're mine."

As if the darkness wasn't dark enough, the sinister sound of Ozai's voice made the atmosphere even darker. His nasty smelling breath bared down on me, making me want to vomit. Hiding the nervousness of my shaky voice, I clear my throat. "We'll see about that." I answered in confidence I didn't know I had at the moment. Even though I couldn't see a thing, I somehow knew he was grinning evilly.

"Indeed we will peasant…indeed we will."

With a whisk of wind, he was gone. I jumped up, my butt literally burning. You would expect it to feel good, but since hot and cold don't mix, I think it just made things even worse for me. All the pain that had been numb returned. I sat down in my little corner, taking the water pouch out from my shirt where I had hidden it. Thinking of my blistering/frostbitten hands, I shakily poured an ounce of water onto them. The most amazing sensation pooled through my veins. Oh how I missed you water.

Placing my hand over top of my left hand, I took a deep breath and started to heal.

I cannot explain how amazing it was to have more than one layer of skin on my hand again. The pain flushed away like it had never even been there. I continued to feel this until the rest of my body was completely healed. There was many wounds however, that could not be healed so easily.

My brain could no longer tell what was real. The first time I looked up since healing, the cage bars looked like thousands of little Momos running up and down. I shook my head and curled my legs up to my chest, the heat now gone, like it was just an illusion. Maybe my whole life was just someone else's illusion…

I took a deep breath to keep myself from going insane.

I sat there, never closing my eyes, pretending I was in some sort of dark paradise.

**Thanks for all the reviews! LOVE YOU.**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5- Dresses and Messes**_

_**Zuko P.O.V**_

"I don't see why I have to go to this stupid ball."

Uncle was making me try on different shirts for the ball tonight. We had been doing this for over two hours, and I'd had enough. He chuckled and laid a red sash across my shoulder as he spoke. "My dear nephew. You are a prince! You must dance with the young ladies and converse with the great leaders!" Iroh cheered happily. How could he think dancing is fun? They were stiff and boring. Besides, Mai never wanted to dance anyway, so I wasn't very good at it.

I sighed and looked at myself in the mirror.

"I look desperate."

"You are."

Surprised that my uncle would say such a thing, I peered down at him to see if he was joking. I couldn't tell; he still had that big smile plastered on his rose cheeks. "What? It's true! One day you will have to take over the kingdom someday, and you know what that means?" Iroh asked me. I threw the sash on the ground in disgust. "I get to brag to Azula?" I suggested darkly. No doubt Azula would do the same to be if she got the throne instead of me.

_When _she got the throne before me.

My uncle shook his head.

"You need an heir! Marrying is a very important part of the Fire Nation royalty."

I felt my muscles tense up at the thought of marriage. "You need to get out there and fall in love Zuko!" he exclaimed, like it was the greatest thing I could ever do. Looking back at the mirror and not liking what I saw, dark thoughts filled my mind. "How did my mother fall in love with a monster like him?" I whispered partly to myself. Iroh stopped in his tracks and stared at me while he held another sash in his wrinkled hands.

From what I have heard, my mother was incredibly kind. A trait that I must not have received. From experience, I knew my father was a terrible, cruel person. So what made them get married? Did he just want children and she was the prettiest woman in the Fire Nation? That was most likely it. My father doesn't feel or love. There is no way he could have an emotional attachment to anyone.

"Your mother wanted children more than anything."

I snapped my head up towards my uncle, who was looking down at the sash sadly.

"I knew her many years before she married my brother. She had always wanted a big family, but unfortunately, the only way for her to get it was to marry your father. You see, all the other men at the time were already married. Your father was the only choice left. It was rather…terribly ironic that she never ended up getting the big family she always desired."

My voice caught in my throat and I was unable to say anything. Looking at myself again in the mirror, I started to find similarities to my mother. Our noses were the same shape, along with our chins. I guess I had never noticed it before, but I was a lot more like my mother than I expected. A sudden burst of happiness exploded inside of me when I came to this realization. In fact, I almost _smiled._

My uncle came around and looked at me in the mirror.

"The importance of finding a wife Zuko, is so you can have the life your mother always wanted for you. Happiness and children. Lots and lots of children!"

For the first time in a long time, I laughed.

Katara P.O.V

"Miss Katara?"

"What?"

"I am supposed to take you up to get ready for the ball."

My head jerked up from its position on the floor. There was a young, timid looking girl standing there. The ball was tonight?! It had already been a week?! After getting over my shock, I spoke. "What do you mean by "get ready"?" I asked her curiously. I expected that I was just going to attend the ball like this: dirty and unacceptable. I figured that was what they wanted.

"Well, first we are to bathe you, pick you out a dress, and then we apply your make up."

Picturing me wearing red made me wanted to vomit. It was completely disrespectful to me _and _to my tribe. Anger boiled up inside of me when I realized what they were trying to do. Get me in Fire Nation clothes and I was sure to blow. They wanted to see if I could handle being in the enemy's shoes. I sickened me to the bone to think of what Sokka would say if he saw me wearing Fire Nation clothes.

"Miss?"

"I'm coming."

Slowly and painfully, I stood up and walked towards the cell door. Zuko had not visited me since that night when I had to sit on the fire. Since then I had been beaten every morning, every day a new and improved punishment. To make it short and not completely disgusting, here is a list of what my body now looked like:

Back: Multiple slashes which are now infected and swollen to the size of a baby lemur.

Arms: Burns nearly down to the bone, sores and blisters across my veins.

Legs: Possible broken ankle, spikes indented in my calf, and glass imbedded underneath the skin.

Stomach: Numerous words carved into my flesh, stomach shrunk from malnutrition

Very appealing huh?

It wasn't like I had to look sexy for this stupid ball thing. I just needed to look like one of them. Although it would intimidate the other women if I did look hot…

My thoughts were interrupted when we walked into the main hall.

I hate to say it, but it was amazing. The walls were covered with white, satin curtains with glass tables lying close to them with beautifully crafted vases on them. Many maids and servants were running around, racing to get to where they needed to be. The most beautiful thing however, was the floor. It was a light, cloudy blue color that reminded me of home. I could almost smell the fresh, flower-filled air as the rain poured down.

"This way please."

I looked down in amazement at the girl.

"Why isn't the rest of the palace like this? It's beautiful!"

The girl who looked much too young to be a maid smiled, showing her few missing teeth. "It is indeed beautiful…but I'm afraid the king does not think so. You see, before his wife left, she demanded that the servants get a little more light in their lives. Since they do serve everyone night and day. She made this room especially for us and it stuck." she replied, a warm smile on her face. It was the nicest smile I had received in my time here. Besides the ones I always got from Iroh when encountered him.

My thoughts drifted to Zuko's mother.

I knew she had left when he was very young. I never felt sorry for him, since it was his nation that took my mother away from me. Now I was beginning to think differently; what if she had never disappeared? Would Zuko be different than he was today? What kind of a person would he be? The questions swarmed my head as I was lead to a large room at the end of the hall.

The room wasn't as light as the room before, but it was better than that damn cell.

"We aren't allowed to let you bathe yourself, but I think you would be more comfortable if you did, correct?"

The thought of someone pampering me bothered me for some odd reason.

"Yeah, just a little."

She smiled and handed me some incredibly soft towels.

"Come out here when you are done and we can pick out your dress."

_Minutes later…_

The water relieved me instantly, soothing my cuts and burns nicely. I had come down with a cold recently, most likely from the infections and coldness. My body had never looked so smooth after I was done healing myself. I wished I could stay in here forever, but I knew there was a deadline. Sighing, I lifted myself out of the tub and wrapped a towel around my body. Peeking out the door and seeing there was no one there, I walked out and plopped down on the bed. The Fire Nation quality continued to surprise me.

The bed was the softest thing I had ever felt.

A sudden crash brought me back to reality.

I sat up, alarmed, and saw a boy around my age kneeling on the ground cleaning a broken vase up. "I'm so s-sorry, I didn't know a-anyone was in here." He said apologetically, not making eye contact. I walked over to help him clean up the vase, which was scattered across the floor. "It's okay. I guess I am kind of in your area now, huh? I should have warned you I was coming out." I replied, laying the pieces of red vase in his rough hands.

We stood up facing each other, and I finally understood why he wasn't making eye contact.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, I probably should put some clothes on!"

The blood rushed to my face and I pulled my towel up slightly. The boy chuckled nervously, "It's fine…I'm just happy you weren't Princess Azula. She would have had my skin for it." He explained. I'd probably rip my skin off myself if I saw Azula naked. Horrifying. I laughed, "Well lucky for you I'm the exact opposite of Azula." I responded honestly. I peered down at the dirt that covered the, what used to be, white carpet. I noticed the boy's worried expression when he saw it.

"Don't worry about it…I'm sure the girl who brought me in will clean it up before we try on dresses."

The boy seemed to relax for a second, but tensed up again when the door opened.

Thank goodness it was only the maid girl.

"I found some beautiful dresses for you!"

She must have been excited to dress up someone other than herself for once. Me, on the other hand, did not share her enthusiasm.

Zuko P.O.V

Every girl was exactly the same.

I had been introduced to at least thirty of them so far, and none of them were any different from the first. Pale, perfect eyebrows, straight lips, no facial expressions at all. They were all even the same height! I was starting to get extremely fed up with this.

"It's very nice to meet you. If you excuse me, I must retrieve a few drinks for my sore throat."

That was a lie of course, but at least I was getting away from the most recent obsessive Fire Nation girl. Quickly and swiftly, I weaved through the couples and made my way to the drinks. There was only two choices: alcohol or no alcohol. I choose the more deadly looking one, which appeared to be pitch black. Who on earth makes a drink that is pitch black?! Taking a big swig of it, I searched the room for my uncle. He was in the corner with a bunch of women, probably talking about tea of course. At least someone was enjoying themselves. It looked like everyone else looked like they were on their death bed.

Tipping the rest of the drink into my mouth, I prepared myself for retiring from this little "party."

That was when I saw _her._

She was standing at the doorway with a very curious look on her face. The dress was bright red, not like the other blood red dresses all the other women had on. It was made of lace and low cut, showing off some of her more prominent female features. Her tan skin went beautifully with her black eye shadow that was casted all over her eye lids. Her hair was curled up to perfection, half up and half down with a golden pin holding it.

The thing that stood out most of all, was her blue eyes.

Red and blue, two colors that did not match at all, but yet seemed to clash together magically when she wore them.

It was Katara.

_**YAY DANCE SCENES WITH ZUKO! ;) how awesome will that be?! If you want to see what the dress looks like, go to **_ shop/dresses/viewitem-PD1182504 ! _**It's the closest one I could find to fitting the era, so yeah. **_


	6. Chapter 6

_**By the way, I don't own any of Avatar the Air Bender or any of its characters.**_

_**Chapter 6-Let's Dance**_

_**Katara P.O.V**_

Too much red.

That was my first thought when I walked into the ball room. I think the servant room would be better suited for a ball than this. At least it had a color other than red in it. No one really paid attention to me as I walked out of the shadows and onto the dance floor. I guess I shouldn't be calling it dance floor; there was not one single person dancing.

The couples standing around were doing exactly what every single person was doing; judging people around them. I saw this one couple in particular whisper to each other every time someone walked by. The first nice sight I saw was Iroh talking to a bunch of women. It made me smile to see him having fun. He deserved some time off away from Zuko.

_Please don't notice me…._

A few people were starting to glance at me now. I was the odd one out, the opposite from everyone of the Fire Nation. Tan-skinned, blue-eyed…no wonder all the men were staring at me. _I couldn't be much_ _of sight to them, could I?_ I asked myself silently as I walked past a group of drunk men. None of my curves has survived the starvation period. I was now skin and bones. What was so attractive about that?

As I scanned the area for anyone willing to talk to me, I noticed Ozai staring at me.

He had that arrogant smile on his face again, so to shut it down, I smiled and waved at him mockingly.

It must have bugged him that I had so much confidence, because he immediately stopped smiling.

In reality, I had no confidence what so ever. My hands were shaking uncontrollably, I was sweating like a pig, and I was scared. This was the one chance I had to prove myself, and I was completely panicking. As I weaved through the crowd of red and black, I felt my stomach churn with nervousness. All I have to do is get someone to dance with me…just once. That shouldn't be too hard, right?

A tap on the shoulder brought me out of my thoughts.

"Hi Katara!" Ty-Lee said happily with a big, happy smile on her cheery face. Why couldn't everyone from the Fire Nation be like her? I returned her smile, "Hello Ty-Lee. How are you?" I asked politely. I wasn't about to scare away the first person who had decided to talk to me. Ty-Lee was the only person who was not wearing black or red; instead, she was wearing a short, pink dress with purple slippers. It suited her personality perfectly.

She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a cold, chilling voice.

"We do not associate with watertribe members Ty-Lee."

Mai came out from behind her with a completely straight face, as usual. Did she have no emotion?! My smile faded and I crossed my arms sassily. "Oh Mai. Don't be sad just because she found someone who actually has a personality!" I exclaimed happily, watching Mai's mouth drop open in shock. That was the first and probably last time I will ever see Mai show emotion. I flipped around and strutted away, not wanting to be insulted anymore.

Doing so, I accidently ran into someone.

I looked up to see the face of Zuko staring down at me.

"Sorry."

I tried to walk away, not really in the mood for talking to the prince of the Fire Nation. Zuko grabbed my arm however, stopping me from running away. "Wait, Katara." He said, his voice hiding an emotion I had never seen in him. I stopped and he let go of my arm, still peering down at me. "You-uh-You look nice." Zuko chocked out, actually appearing nervous for once. I blushed, something I never imagined I would do when Zuko talked to me.

"I don't feel nice. It's like I'm in a costume I can't get out of."

"Yeah, uh, what I meant was that you look nice in Fire Nation colors, um…even though you hate us."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Yeah, I _do _hate you guys." I answered, slightly snobbishly. _Be nice to him, _a voice in the back of my mind whispered. _He's complimenting you for once! _Zuko looked slightly taken aback by my reply, and his eyes narrowed down at me. "I give you a compliment and that's how you reply?" Zuko snapped. Feeling anger rising in my chest, I stood up a little taller, even though it didn't matter since Zuko was over five inches taller than me.

"You think I'm being ridiculous? Your nation kidnapped me and is keeping me in a freaking cell!"

I noticed a few people glance over at me yelling up at Zuko. This probably wasn't looking too good for me right now. Ozai was probably planning my beheading right this minute. After taking a quick second to compose myself, I looked up at Zuko's still stern face. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I'm just-" Zuko wasn't even listening to me, so I stopped talking. He had started looking around as soon as I opened my mouth.

"Whatever. Do you want to dance?"

"Do I- wait, what?"

Zuko looked extremely annoyed with me right now.

"Do you want to dance?"

He asked it slowly, which made me glare at him.

"Fine."

Zuko held out his arm and I linked mine with his. Everyone else was lining up for the upcoming dance also, so I figured it must be a traditional one. Even Iroh was doing it! I, on the other hand, was less enthused to be doing a Fire Nation dance..and with Zuko too! What had I turned into?! The women lined up on one side, while the men stood on the other, across from their partner. Zuko and I were ten feet away from each other and you could still feel the tension.

It hadn't occurred to me that I had no idea how to do this dance.

It was too late; the music had started to play.

(**Think Pride and Prejudice when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth dance)**

I copied the woman standing next to me. The women and men both swiftly went towards each other and bowed slightly, switching places. Zuko was glaring at me intently, while I returned to favor. We went towards each other again and joined hands for a split second, turning around and returning to our original spots on the ball-room floor. We were a bit behind the other couples, so I focused my brain on coping exactly what the other couples were doing.

Going towards each other for the third time, our faces got a mere inch away from each others. I could feel the anger steaming off of Zuko. Turning around the person next to me, I stepped towards Zuko and laid my hand on top of his lightly. Take a step forward, bow down a bit, take a step backward, bow down a bit. Zuko's warm hand released mine, almost as in disgust, as we swerved around the other couples. We flew across the floor, repeating the forward bow and backwards bow again, but in a different direction. Our eyes were locked tightly as we turned around, continuing the same steps.

"Why do you glare at me so Zuko?"

"I could ask you the same question peasant."

We stepped over each other's paths, doing a U turn and getting in each other's faces again. The part where the couple's join hands came again, although I really did not want to get burned from Zuko's anger that circulated to his hands. We turned in a circle once while I replied to his statement. "I glare at you because of your thoughts that I would actually be enjoying myself." I hissed at him, breaking the eye contact.

While repeating the "all up in their face" step, I noticed Iroh looking at us suspiciously. He must have overheard our conversation. Again, twisting around the other women, Zuko gave me that annoyed look he always used to give me when he chased us around the world. "You should be enjoying yourself," Zuko whispered harshly. "By dancing with me you're sure to not be beheaded anytime soon." He added while we let go of each others' hands.

"I'm sure every girl would be _dying _to dance with you."

Zuko looked slightly wounded by my comment, which I didn't understand why.

"I have met nearly every woman in this room and yet, I still choose to dance with you."

I turned around a girl and re-connected with Zuko's gaze. "Why would that be Prince Zuko?" I said, slightly in an annoyed tone. I was very curious to know why Zuko wanted to save my skin, but I didn't let it show. The dance seemed to be coming to an end, as the couples were now standing opposite each other again. Zuko stared at me for a second, waiting for the music to completely end before replying.

"Because I care for you Katara."

Time seemed to stand still for a moment. The other couples clapped, but Zuko and I just stood there, staring at each other. It wasn't necessarily an intense stare; just a stare. I don't know how else to explain it. The couples retreated and Iroh hopped over to us. "Katara! You look absolutely stunning!" He exclaimed, looking me over. "I would definitely ask you to dance…if I was sixty years younger, of course." Iroh joked. Somehow he always seemed to lighten up a situation.

I smiled at him and chuckled. "Thanks Iroh."

He glanced over at Zuko, who looked a little bit more calm. "You chose wisely my nephew! You're learning." Iroh patted a blushing Zuko on the back, then ran away towards some woman by the tea table. Zuko and I stood by each other while watching him start up a conversation with her. "He's a ladies' man, huh?" I joked, laughing a bit. Zuko smiled and nodded, "Definitely doesn't seem like he would be my father's brother." We turned around to see Ozai sitting on his throne, trying to talk to a woman who looked extremely bored.

Zuko and I burst out laughing.

"Would you like a drink?"

The little girl that helped me with my hair and makeup walked up to us with a tray of what appeared to be alcohol. She wasn't being as friendly as she was when we were alone, but I figured it was because they were afraid of Zuko, him being the prince and all. I smiled at her anyways and took one from the tray. "Thank you Shama." I said, referring to her name. She couldn't hold back her smile, but it disappeared when Zuko grabbed my drink.

"Sorry, but I don't think the council would appreciate it if you drank at their party."

I sighed, as I was extremely thirsty for something other than a few drops of water. Maybe I could go get some tea later. Zuko and I stood there for a few minutes, watching girls chase after guys that clearly did not want to be around them. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by yours truly, Azula.

"Having a fun time Zuzu?"

She smirked at him darkly, then looked me over from head to toe. "Well, well Katara. I must say you look great in Fire Nation colors." Azula hissed, knowing it would tick me off. I bit my tongue, but smiled over at her. "You look amazing as well Azula. Any guy would be crazy not to dance with you." I responded. What I wanted to say was, "No guy would be crazy enough to dance with you." Zuko hid back a smile, knowing I didn't really mean it.

Azula gave me a grin and stuck her chest out a little further.

It took everything I had not to burst out laughing.

"They would be crazy, wouldn't they?"

Zuko and I nodded, causing her to look suspiciously at us. "Well, have a good time Zuzu. Don't get too many girls pregnant." With that, she walked away onto the dance floor, probably to pay some guy to dance with her. I didn't know one single guy that would willingly dance with Azula. The experience would surely leave them scarred; not just mentally either.

Zuko looked over at me with his shaggy hair. I wondered if he was planning to leave it like that. I hoped so…his ponytail was really creepy and made him look less attractive than he was. I stopped my thinking for a second when I realized I just called Zuko hot. "You really do look beautiful Katara. I think you've already impressed the council members." He said, a little shyly.

I smiled up at him, "Thank you Zuko."

He smiled back at me and we continued to make fun of people.

Ozai P.O.V

"She has proven herself so far, King Ozai."

"Most indefinitely."

_Ignorant council members, _I thought to myself. This peasant had them all wrapped around her finger. How she managed to do so, I will never know. It didn't matter; I just had to figure out how to show them who she really was.

"Calm down gentlemen…she still has something to prove to us. Let's just give her one more night of fun before her death."

**Thanks for reading everyone! Review xxxx**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7-The Game Plan**_

_**Katara P.O.V**_

I despise the Fire Nation.

After my little…dance/argument with Zuko, he had to go get introduced to more women, so I was left alone. I tried to find any young girl that would be willing to talk to me, but I found it extremely difficult. If they didn't know about my involvement with Aang, they hated me because all the men were eyeing me when I walked by. If it wasn't that, they were disgusted by the fact that I was working against the Fire Nation.

So I walked around awkwardly for about an hour before I found a few girls who didn't seem to care who I was.

They weren't terrible people…Ty-Lee was amongst them. They giggled and gossiped about the affairs that went on in the castle. I went along with it, but only because I was desperate to look like I was fitting in. Getting my head chopped off in front of the entire nation wasn't exactly on my list of things to do before I die. Funny since I would be dead if I get beheaded, thus ending my list of things to do before I die.

"Oh dear Katara, I think it's time for you to leave us."

Ty-Lee had a sad look on her face, which I didn't really understand. I glanced over at the clock, seeing that it was nearly midnight. "The guards are coming this way." She warned, leading the other girls away. I didn't want to go back to the dungeons. Not that I liked it here any better, but I just felt so…crazy down there. Like the rest of the world put me there so they didn't have to deal with me. At least up here there was more things to look at.

Not wanting to make a scene, I met the guards half way.

"Nice to see you again gentlemen."

They grumbled something and grabbed my arms, leading me through the crowd of red. It amazed me how no one even bothered to look up. They were all too stuck in their little worlds to care. On my way out, I scanned the room for Zuko, wondering if he had been suffocated by the women yet. I spotted his amber eyes across the dance floor, staring at me. I gave a slight nod before my head was smacked by the guard.

"Eyes ahead water peasant."

"I could say the same to you _buddy._"

That must have made him angry, because as soon as we got out of the ball room, he pushed me down the stairs. Trying to make sure my head didn't get too banged up, I covered it with my arms as I tumbled down the granite stairs. If you've ever fell on granite flooring, you know how much it hurts. If you haven't, I'll break it down for you. For example, when your shoulder hits it, it's like a weight being dropped onto concrete. Solid.

I managed to sit up, although extremely dizzy, and noticed my wrist was bent in a weird position. It was strange though; I felt no pain what so ever. Before I could inspect it, the guards jerked me up by my arms and dragged me back to the dungeon. Everything was blurry, but I was used to that. The only problem this time though, was that it wasn't going away.

Panic stuck when they passed my cell.

"You missed it."

The taller guard only smirked and continued on the dark hallway. What were they planning on doing to me? Had they come up with a new punishment while I was gone? I am now convinced nothing could be worse than getting your hands slammed with a hammer. Then again, the Fire Nation was continuing to surprise me. Perhaps they wanted to have a little-how should I describe this-"fun" with me. Fear stabbed my heart like a fork when these dark thoughts crept to my mind.

They stopped at the end of the hallway, opened a cell, then threw me in.

"What are you doing?! This isn't my cell you idiot!"

This guard had the type of face that just bugs you. Have you ever met someone and just immediately want to punch them in the face when they talk? Well, he's the definition of that. When he speaks, the arrogance and fake stupidity lash out at you, causing a different kind of anger you never know you had. They disappeared into the hallway and the lanterns were put out. The darkness had risen again.

"So you're the girl they all talk about?"

My blood froze when I heard a voice behind me. Not only had they put me in the wrong cell, they had put me in a cell with someone else in it. Turning around very slowly and hesitantly, I replied. "I guess I am." I gulped, wondering horrific thing this guy had done to get stuck in here. I heard movement and backed up against the cold bars. My heart was nearly beating clear out of my chest.

If you're wondering why I was so scared, I can explain easily. Picture this: a weak, malnourished fifteen-year old girl, in a pitch black ten-by-ten cell (in a prison), with a man's hoarse voice whispering to you. Scared yet?

"Has Aang been well trained?"

My mind stopped spinning for a second when he said the name of my friend. I unclenched my fists from the bar and frantically tried to find the man's location. "He hasn't had a fire bending teacher, but other than that, yes." I answered, trying to sound like I wasn't shitting myself. The man chuckled an octave lower than I thought was possible. "He's planning to fight one of the best fire benders in the nation, and he don't know how to fire bend?" The man laughed.

Yue finally saw how desperate I was, and shined some light into the cell.

He was exceptionally built, with muscles that basically took up all of his room in the cell. The man wore a long, black sleeve t-shirt with many holes in it. His jeans were too short for him, just barely going past his calf muscles. His skin was nearly as black as the darkness. The expression on his face wasn't at all what I expected it to be. Instead of anger and hatred, he appeared to be calm and lively. Not what you would expect from someone in a Fire Nation prison. Suddenly feeling confident, I walked forward a few feet and sat across from him.

"What's your name?"

The man smiled, revealing his pearly whites.

"Name's Toshiro, but you can call me Tosh."

I returned the smile to harmless man.

"Nice to meet you Tosh. I'm Katara."

I held out my hand for him to shake it. Saying his hand was large would be an understatement. My hand was pretty big for a girl, but next to his it felt like he was a bear and I was the mouse. "You're really tall," I started to say, laughing a little as I did so. "But I bet you get that all the time right?" I asked. Tosh laughed, and I was sure the whole castle woke up.

"Haven't been told that in ten years. You be the first person I talk to in about five."

My mouth dropped open in shock.

"You haven't had a conversation with someone in _five _years?"

Tosh grinned and folded his legs up to his chest.

"Unless you count talking to myself, then yes."

I wanted to laugh at that, but couldn't find it in me. Here I had been feeling all sorry for myself, when he had been in here at least ten years. Tosh had not felt the sun against his skin in ten years. A wave of guilt washed over me as I peered over at the massive man. A crazy thought squeezed into my mind. "I'm going to get you out of here Tosh." I said, more to myself then to him. He raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly.

"How are you planning to do that?"

It came to me within a second.

I jumped up from my excitement and started to wave my hands all over.

"They switch the guards everyday at five, right? They come in from the left and exit to the right, towards the houses."

"How you know this?"

"I have a lot of alone time, but that's not the point!"

The images of Tosh and I crawling over the brick walls and into freedom made me smile.

"It's been about a week, which means the new and un-experienced guard will be here tomorrow. They always send in the new guys first as bait in case someone has escaped. I'll ask him about the guard meeting, and when he walks past me, I can grab the keys!"

Tosh seemed confused now. "How do you know there guard meeting?" He asked in his stagnant voice. I shook my head, "That's the point! There isn't one!" I said, stopping for a second to realize how crazy I was becoming. One more week in here and I'll be a lunatic for sure. Tosh made an O shape with his mouth and I continued. "He'll spread the word to the rest of the guards and they'll all run to the castle expecting a meeting to be taking place." I explained, still pacing around the cell.

"Then we run?"

I grinned at Tosh and nodded.

"Then we run. We run right, on the outside of the town and get to the brick wall. By the time they figure it out, we'll be long gone. We'll be free."

For a second, Tosh just sat there. He looked up at me, stood up, and embraced me in a hug.

"We be free."

Zuko P.O.V

"Father wants to see you Zuzu."

I had just begun meditating when Azula stormed into my room. I shot her a glare and stood up. "Why would he want to see me?" I questioned, wondering if it was just another one of her tricks. She shrugged while leaning against the doorway. "Probably something about how he's never actually going to give you your honor back." Before I could throw a ball of fire at her, she was out the door.

After taking a breath to compose myself, I walked out of my room.

How I hated these walls. They were plastered with pictures of the two people I hated most: Azula and my father. It seems in my absence, they decided to get rid of all traces of their other family member. I didn't care…the only picture I really valued was the one I had hidden in my room. It was a picture of my mother and I, in her garden. That picture was the only thing that gave me hope. Well, that and my uncle.

Maybe Katara too.

I knocked twice on the door.

"Come in Zuko, come in!"

I opened the door with my head facing the ground. I don't hate looking at my father's face I just…well, I _do _hate it. All I see when I look at him is death and hatred. I managed the courage to look up towards him.

"You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, sit down please."

I really wasn't comfortable sitting down in front of my father, so I stood in the center of the room. He gave me a slight glare, "Or you can stand." He said, laying his very important looking paper down. What could he possibly want to talk about? It wasn't like he wanted to know how my life was going or anything. He wasn't a very sentimental person.

"I would like to have a discussion about the watertribe peasant."

If you want to capture my attention, that's how to do it.

After gulping once, I replied.

"What about the peasant?"

"Well you see my son, I don't really see any point in letting her live. I mean, we all know the Avatar will come and fight me. He may be a foolish child, but I _know _he will come. The watertribe girl is of no use to us! Besides, if we do kill her, maybe it will make the fight more interesting!"

Through gritted teeth, I replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Well if we hang pictures all over the Fire Nation of her execution, the Avatar will be very upset, correct? If he's upset, he'll fight harder! It'll be a little…show for our citizens."

In my mind, I had jumped over the desk between us and burned his face off a thousand times. In reality, I simply balled my fists up behind my back. There was no way he would kill Katara. I would not allow her toughness and strength to be wasted. Besides, Katara was actually proving to be…well, not so terrible after all.

"Think about this father. I know the Avatar will not do as you think he will. He's a weak, vulnerable little boy who is in love with Ka-I mean, the watertribe peasant. I honestly don't think he will fight harder. In fact, I almost guarantee that he will not even show up if he learns of her death."

This was a lie. Aang would fight harder if he knew Katara was dead. He would probably win too. There was no way I could let my father know this though. He looked up, an expressionless look on his face. "For once my son, I fear you are right." Picking the paper back up, he motioned me away with his hand.

"Dismissed."

I nearly sprinted out of his office. Being around my father just makes me extremely uncomfortable. The hallways were starting to get dark now, as the slaves were blowing the candles out for the night. I could easily light a fire in my hand and lead myself down to my room. I felt like I needed to be punished for some reason, however, so I did not. Katara filled my mind, along with that terrible feeling that something bad was going to happen.

I thought of how much alike Katara and I were.

So young, but so damaged.

**The next few chapters are going to be INTENSE MAN! hehehehehhehe. Just out of curiosity…who is your guys' favorite character? I'm very curious to know;) **

**Have a nice day and thanks for reading! Keep up with all the reviews! I've been reading them every day because they make me so happy!**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Demonpie17: I like Tosh too:) hahahaha he's like the best guy friend I've always wanted!**_

_**Chapter 8-Escape**_

_**Katara P.O.V**_

Today was the day.

Today was the day I was going to be free. Free from all this hatred and arrogance of the Fire Nation. Tosh was going to finally be able to live his life! I had talked to him a little last night about his life before he was imprisoned for stealing food. He had a wife and five kids. One girl, four boys. Tosh told me how he was extremely worried that one of them, or all of them, might be dead now. If they weren't they were probably close to it.

After Tosh fell asleep, I cried silently.

Tosh had missed out on his kids entire lives. Three of them were five years old, while the other two were three. They were practically teenagers now and they had not seen their father for _ten whole _years. Think of yourself in this situation. Sucks, huh?

"Think this will work?"

"If it doesn't, I'll take the blame, don't worry."

Tosh shook his head and peered down the dark hallway. Even in the daylight, it was still as dark as the other side of the moon. "You young, I take blame." He answered in his low voice. I couldn't help but smile at his kindness. This may seem selfish, but if I were in his position, I would definitely let the other person take the blame. Then again, I am a terrible person, unlike Tosh.

Another prisoner whose name I did not know poked his out from his cell.

"May I join you?"

"What?"

"I want to escape too."

I bit my lip nervously. I could keep an eye on Tosh, but I don't know if I could take it if we got caught and they executed someone I didn't even know. Tosh nodded before I could think it through. "Stay close." The man nodded excitedly and sunk back into the darkness of his cage. That was when hell broke loose. At least fifteen voices rang out through the hallway, all of them saying something about wanting to come with.

It looks like I'm conducting a prison break.

"Alright, alright! Everyone calm down!"

The voices stopped right away; they've probably been trained to expect pain if they aren't quiet. Taking a deep breath, I decided something within myself. "If we escape, it's everyone for themselves alright? I can get you past the walls, but if you even get noticed by _one _person and ruin everyone else's chance of freedom, I will throw you to the guards myself. Do you all understand?" I said firmly, loud enough so everyone in the prison could hear. There was a short moment of silence, then a small voice came from the last cell at the opposite end.

"I understand."

The other voices joined in, everyone swearing excitedly about our escape. Footsteps were booming down the stairs, and Tosh shushed the voices down. This was our chance. The other prisoners sunk back into the darkness, while I stayed towards the lightest part of the cell. I heard the lanterns being lit, one by one, edging closer to our cell. I silently prayed that the guard couldn't hear my heart beating. The footsteps were right on us now, so I turned and looked up at the guard, putting on my best acting skills.

"Boy he's gunna be mad at you."

The guard stopped and glanced over at me. He leaned down slightly to hear me better, as these hollow hallways weren't exactly the best place for having conversations. I took this opportunity to grab his collar and pull him close to the cell bars.

"Who?"

"Ozai. I wonder what kind of execution he'll have for you…I hope it's a public one."

Worry and fear filled his brown eyes as I talked like a mad woman. I had spit falling from my mouth, and that along with my crazy hair was sure to be a scary sight.

"What? Why would he do that?"

"The meeting...the meeting was the key…you lost the key now. No way to escape now…no, none at all."

I started to look off into the distance, like I was planning his funeral in my head. Years of trying to distract my parents so Sokka and I could get the cookies was starting to pay off. The guard looked like he was going to cry. He took off down the hallway faster than Sokka when dinner was ready. I heard him explain about the meeting and him and the other guard took off running. He hadn't even noticed me swipe his keys when he bent down to hear me better.

You'd think they'd have better security measures. Jeez.

I threw the keys to Tosh, since his arms were longer than mine and could reach the lock faster. We couldn't waste any time what so ever. The door was open. I bolted out the door and grabbed the keys, plugging them into cell after cell, until every prisoner was free. The nerves were starting to set in now. I didn't know if all they would all make it to the wall; nearly all of them were skin and bones. I wonder how Tosh managed to stay so buff.

"This way. No talking."

Tosh and I led them up the stairs and through the hallway that led to the direction of the town. I noticed it last night when they guards were taking me back to my cell. They really should have blindfolded me, but they weren't exactly the brightest, as you probably know by now. I peeked outside, barely opening the door. It was perfect; there was a dark alleyway where we could not be seen. I motioned with my hand for the rest to come. All of us piled into the garbage filled alley, not a sound made. The only thing I could hear was Tosh's breathing.

There was not many town people outside, as it was a holy day, I learned from the group of girls last night. They only went outside if necessary. The guards ran past us, so I stepped backwards so we wouldn't be found. My mind was clear and crisp, for there was no room for mistakes now. Over twenty people were depending on me.

I had to step up.

"Over there."

I pointed to a large food stand that was empty, something we could easily hide behind. Swiftly running to it, I scanned the area for any more guards. Most of the remaining guards were sprinting to the castle, making me snicker. They really were all brawn no brains. I stopped smiling when I saw one, single guard stand outside. He had a very suspicious look on his face as he looked around the town.

The wall was in my sights, completely unoccupied.

My heart beat a little faster.

"Time to run."

The guard had his back turned, and I took off, twenty innocent men following close behind. Ducking through the alleys and jumping over curves, I led them through the village. After a few minutes, we were at the end of the town, the wall looking more clearer every second. Then, out of nowhere, a little girl appears. She looked like Azula to me…just not as cruel yet.

Well, she may not be as cruel as Azula _yet, _but she was pretty damn close.

"Mommy! Mommy come! Prisoners escaping!"

I make a mental note to never have kids.

"Run! Come on!"

Everyone took off running as fast as they could. The wall wasn't that far away…could we make it? Or were the guards already chasing us? I didn't have time to worry about it now; I must get these people to safety. I dared to glance back, hoping I wouldn't see red and black chasing after us. What I saw crushed my heart; there was an old man, weaker and smaller than all the rest, logging behind us.

Have you ever had to make a choice between something? A choice that determines who lives and who doesn't?

I hope you never have to.

Stopping in my tracks, I turned around towards the old man. Quickly, I lifted him up onto my back and continued to run forward. I heard him whisper a faint "Thank you." At least if I die, I do so knowing that someone else could live. The wall was a beautiful sight. I had never seen something that gave me so much hope. Okay, that's a lie, but you get the point.

Tosh was already helping the others crawl up the wall. I lifted the old man up to him, using almost all my strength. That isn't a fat joke, I'm just saying that after days of not getting a good meal, my muscles were completely worn down. Tosh gently threw the elderly man over the wall to the other men. There was still at least ten men to go, and I could hear yelling back at the village.

"Get them you fools!"

Whipping around, I saw the guards running straight for us.

Desperately, I looked around for any source of water. I felt a leap of hope when I spotted a pond. It wasn't huge, but at least I wouldn't be completely defenseless. Tosh shot me a worried glance, but I waved him off, "Keep going! I can hold them off!" I yelled. The Fire Nation guards were getting closer, but after glancing at Tosh, I decided to meet them halfway.

"Miss me?"

I sent the water whip towards them, making the first line of them fall to the ground. Lifting the water back up, I created a large ball of swampy water, thrusting it at the next group. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tosh push the last prisoner over the wall. In that split second, the one man I had missed, swatted me onto the ground like a fly.

"We meet again little girl."

It was, of course, the guard I despised the most.

I prepared myself for death, holding my head high as I waited for the blade to come down on my head.

The blow never came.

The sun blinded me for a second, and when I was finally able to focus, I looked up to the glorious sight of Tosh holding the man by the neck. "You do not harm girl." He grumbled, the most ferocious I have ever seen him. The man looked petrified, which made me grin. Tosh threw him over twenty feet away, then held out a hand to me.

"Not much time, go now."

I could feel my legs failing me as I ran to the wall. Tosh held his hands open for me, ready to catapult me over to freedom. As I rose my bloody foot up, I pictured Tosh and I, running into the open, free land. We would be smiling and happy. Maybe before I went back to Aang and the gang, I could meet his family. This fantasy was short lived.

Very short.

A fire ball came crashing right between us, burning my foot and Tosh's hand.

Looking at it now, this was the moment I knew.

I was not going to be free today.

Dizzier than I had ever been, I glanced up, feeling my heart drop at the sight of all the Fire Guards, only yards away from us. Tosh and I locked eyes, and I nodded at the wall. "Go Tosh." I ordered, shakily standing up. He started to shake his head, but I wasn't about to let both of us die. "Tosh, go now! Please! I can hold them off, but only for a while! Your family needs you!" I yelled, getting in a defense stand. The look in his black eyes changed when I mentioned his family.

He put a hand on the wall, then looked over at me.

"You will be a hero Katara. I forget never."

I smiled at my friend, then watched him crawl the wall.

Taking all the water in the pond, I made as many water whips as I could, sending them towards the guards as fast as I made them. Did I know it was useless? Yes, of course I did. I was surrounded by the entire Fire Nation army, but something inside of me kept pushing. It was the will to survive. There was no way I was going down like a silly, stupid little girl.

I would not be made a fool of.

I dodged fire balls left and right, the heat grazing my skin. Noticing I was by the weakest looking part of the wall, I smirked at the guards. "You missed, butthead!" I shouted, hoping I could aggravate the guards. Surprisingly enough, it worked. The fire balls came faster and a hell of a lot harder. Little did they know, they were starting to break down their own wall.

When I was a little girl, we used to play dodge the rock. It was a stupid game, but Sokka and I played it almost every day. One time, we started to use big rocks, wanting it to be a challenge. I threw the rock as hard as I could at Sokka, and he was so shocked at how big it was, he let it hit him straight in the gut. Funny as heck, but he was throwing up his food for the next three days.

In my mind, I tried to think of the strategies I used to dodge those rocks.

The meanest looking man I had ever seen stepped forward, motioning for the other guards to stop their fire. For a moment, the world was silent. The man took his stance, and I readied my body to try and stop his fire. Using all his power, he threw the biggest fire ball I had ever seen at me. Flashing back to my childhood, I laid on the ground, just barely missing getting burnt alive.

The fire hit the wall with a boom, and it came crumbling down.

I thought the Fire Nation was supposed to have the best architecture in the whole nation?

It sure didn't look like it. The wall continued to crumble, piece by piece. The men stood there, their mouths wide open in shock, as they watched their great masterpiece plunge to the earth. Quite hilarious, actually. I would have laughed if this wouldn't have been such a…deadly situation.

When the last brick of the wall fell, the guards all looked down at me.

I carry something around me that no one else can see. It holds me down like thousands of snowflakes, suffocating me till the point of death. This thing I carry, is called hope. Hope can crush you and break you, when you realize that whatever you have hoped will come true, doesn't come true. I must have been stupid to hope that I would be free. The realization I came to in that moment in time, was this:

I was born happily hopeful, but I would die, tragically hopeful.

**Ohhhhh! Shit is getting REAL! **

**Guess what? **

**It's snowing. In friggin April. I hate this state. WHY THE HELL WOULD IT EVER BE GOOD TO HAVE SNOW AT THE END OF APRIL?! **

**Sigh. **

**Thanks for reading! Over two thousand views! Yeah babay!**

**Love you allllll**


	9. Chapter 9

_**I am LOVING all your reviews!:D They make me smile so much!**_

_**Chapter 9-Hot and Cold**_

_**Zuko P.O.V**_

"What do you mean, all the prisoners escaped?!"

"T-They tricked us sir. They g-got over the fence."

You know my father is mad when he grinds his teeth together. His face was almost as red as my scar, and _that _was saying something. The guard looked absolutely petrified as my father stood up out of his chair. "All of them escaped?" He asked, gripping his fists together tightly. I looked back at the guard, silently praying he would say that Katara was one of the many who got away.

"All but one sir. T-The watertribe peasant. The others are fighting her right now."

"Where are they?"

"At the wall, my lord."

Determination crossed his face.

"Take me there."

I bit my lip hard, cursing the spirits silently. Of course, it had to be Katara who didn't get away. Let me guess; she stayed so everyone else could go. As I hesitantly followed Azula into the hallway, I couldn't help but admire Katara for it. Time for admiring would have to take place later. Right now I had to worry about how my father was planning to deal with her. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good.

Not one bit.

"This is the most excitement I've had since your banishment!"

Azula seemed happy and anxious to see Katara. I shot her my darkness glare, which only caused her to laugh. I shouldn't say laugh…Azula doesn't laugh, she cackles. Turning away from my little sister, I just happened to notice the picture hanging in one of the servant rooms. I only caught a glimpse of it since the rest of my family was eager to see some blood, but I could still make out the face in the picture. It was my mother.

Surely things would be different if she was here. First of all, I probably would not have this horrific scar on the side of my face. Second of all, Katara would not be in this situation if my mother had not disappeared. Sometimes I was angry at her for leaving me alone with these…monsters. It was her own fault I ended up like this!

Deep down, I did not feel this way.

I was just angry.

Big surprise, huh?

The hot sun hit my face as we stepped outside the palace. It was the first time it had been sunny in a while. Usually it would be rainy and gloomy, just like the personalities here. One would think that if it was sunny, it would be a good day. It was _not _a good day at all. Not for Katara at least…I think that was what worried me the most.

I saw Katara.

She had just head butted some guy and pushed him to the ground. He was the last guard standing; the rest were lying in piles scattered all over the area. Half the town was gathered outside their houses, looking horrified by the scene. Katara was a mess, but she was still standing, even though I could see her legs shaking from yards away. I could make out her Fire Nation outfit tears, along with her smeared makeup and messy hair. Somehow through all of this, she still managed to look beau-I mean…nice.

My heart pounded quicker as we got closer and closer to Katara. Hers must have been going faster too, because I saw her take a deep breath when she spotted us. Katara must know…surely she must know…the punishment would not be light. All the torture she had been through; it was only just the beginning. Once when I was a little boy, I stumbled upon a book of over a hundred ways to torture someone. I couldn't sleep for a week, in fear of having nightmares about getting my eyeballs poked with a burning stick.

Father stopped a short distance away from Katara, who had her chest out and head held high. Honorable, but I'm afraid honor wasn't going to get her anywhere. I've had my experience with that. The look on Ozai's face was pretty terrifying; besides his ugliness, his face was beat red, his chin was shaking madly, and a piece of his hair was hanging on his eye.

"You thought you were so clever, didn't you wench?"

Katara didn't seem shaken by this insult.

"Kind of, yeah. You don't feel clever, do you? Your own guards being outsmarted by a stupid water bender? If I were you, I'd feel pretty ridiculous right now."

My father gritted his teeth even tighter, and I felt my heart skip a few beats. I had an awful feeling that I knew what was coming. Motioning to his fallen guards, who were now helping each other up, he hissed those words I had heard before. Just in a different situation.

"Fight me then peasant. If you're so confident in your abilities."

Not bearing to look at the ground anymore, I peered up at Katara. She glanced at me for a second, the fear only visible in her eyes for a split second. Looking back at my father, I saw her nod. "Alright big shot. Let's see what you got." Katara said, getting in her defense stance. How could she be so calm at a time like this?! I screamed in my head. Did she honestly think she could win against him?!

Now that I was only feet away from the water bender, I noticed how fragile she really was. I could practically see her muscles disintegrating into the air every time she moved. Her foot was burnt badly; the blisters were already starting to boil in the hot sun. How could I just stand here and watch this poor girl suffer? She wasn't just a girl…she was a friend. Can't believe I'm admitting it, but I do count Katara as one of my only friends. One of my…prettier friends. Could I find the courage to stand up and stop my father from killing her?

Not thinking about what I was about to do, I stepped forward.

But it was too late.

My father fired the first shot, sending a ring of fire balls towards Katara. I don't know where the water came from, but somehow, she pulled up a huge field of it to shield herself. The fire nearly went through, but she held on for dear life. I was no longer watching my father; my eyes and heart were set on Katara. Every move she took, I sucked in a deep breath. _Please, please let her win._

"You are no match for me little girl."

Pure hatred and anger was spit out in the form of a fire from my father's mouth. Katara looked horrified for a moment, but again somehow managed to shield her body. A small portion of it hit her right hand however, and she stumbled backwards towards the broken wall in pain. I wanted so badly to start cheering for her, but I knew if I even mumbled one word, I would be next. Not that I really cared; honestly, I'm already in hell. What more could he do to me? He had taken everything that was important to me and crushed it.

Even my chess set! Literally!

It was in this moment that I realized how terrible fire really was. Seeing the burn on Katara, and feeling the burn on my face…it made something stir deep inside me. Fear.

"Katara look out!"

It slipped out and I mentally kicked myself for it. The remaining guards that had stood up ran to me and held me back, covering my mouth with a cloth. Azula snickered and motioned for one of the guards to kick me, which they did. I fell onto my knees, but ignored the pain in my gut. Katara was sending water whips at my father desperately. She was getting nowhere, but I hoped to Ursa she did not give up. Katara needs to take her own advice right now and have hope.

Sadly, I could see the hope fading from her crystal eyes.

Ozai was ferociously shooting fire ball after fire ball at Katara. They were starting to hit their target now, Katara's water shields getting weaker. Her feet were losing their grip, where as my father's seemed to be getting better. After blocking the sparks from Ozai's last fire ball, Katara summoned a large water ball, sending towards my father with such power that I was sure it would hit him. However, my father had also sent his own fire ball and was sending it right in the path of Katara's water.

They collided, creating a mass explosion.

Everyone was sent flying backwards, Katara smashing into the debris of the wall, Ozai and the rest of us thrown back into the dirt. Something had landed on me and cut my leg open, but again, I ignored the pain and sat up, searching for Katara threw the dust. There was a terrible ringing noise echoing through my ears. My head was spinning, but finally I managed to locate Katara lying under the red bricks of the wall she had broken down. As soon as I took my first step, someone grabbed me, sending me back to the hard ground. Turning my head to see who tripped me, I looked into the face of my sister. Even though she was dirty and injured, she still held that evil smirk on her pale face.

"Katara, get up!"

I yelled frantically at her to stand up. Glancing back at my father, I saw that he had already stood up and was heading towards Katara. "Katara!" I screamed, trying to kick Azula's face. I ended her snickering by slamming into her cheek with my boot. Her hand let go of my ankle and I stumbled forward, determined to help my friend. I think my father knew what I was going to do before I did.

I just barely had time to duck before a fire ball was sent my way.

Again, I was back on the ground.

"You're pathetic Zuko. Just like your foolish mother and uncle."

His glare tore my soul wide open. Turning away from me, he preceded to go to Katara's limp body. She peered up at him, knowing she was defeated. I could almost feel the disappointment flow through her veins. Closing my eyes, I prepared myself for the worst.

"Guards, take our little bender to The Pocket."

Before I could pass out from shock, I was knocked out by a heavy object.

Katara P.O.V

Well, this didn't really work.

In the plays I've seen, the heroes never got caught! I guess reality isn't like that, huh? No happy endings.

"Can I ask a question?"

The guard didn't answer and instead continued to drag me.

"What is "The Pocket"?"

The guards smirked at each other and stopped dragging me. There was two doors in front of us: one had a light on and appeared to be well lit, while the other had a dim light. I curiously looked up at their covered faces, "Which one will we be adventuring to?" I asked, trying to lighten the tension for my own good. The thicker one peered down at me, and I have to say, I did not like the look on his face.

"Welcome to The Pocket."

They threw me inside, and I quickly found out that it wasn't very big. My head cracked against the concrete wall, making everything seem blacker than it already was. The only source of light I had was the small lantern on the ceiling. I heard the men follow me in there, shutting the door behind them.

Do you remember when you were a little kid and you were scared of the dark? This was like that. You squeeze your eyes shut tightly because you think it will keep you from seeing things you don't want to see, or things you don't want to be real.

Even though I couldn't see their faces, I had a pretty good idea of what kind of looks they had on their faces. 

One of them snickered, and then I heard the sound of pants being pulled down.

Zuko P.O.V

The bright light hurt my eyes.

How long had I been out? Hours? Days? I asked myself as I sat up, trying to see where I was. It was cold, like a ice house. The floor was hard and I was pretty sure I was sitting in a pile of dry blood. Was it mine?

A loud booming noise was echoing through the-well, where ever I was. Boots trumped closer and closer to me, until they stopped right in front of me. "Time to go _your highness._" A dark voice growled sarcastically. I gave him my best glare, but it was useless anyway, since neither of us could probably see anything. Before I could even try to stand up, I was grabbed the collar of my shirt and yanked up onto my feet.

My leg still hurt, the pain now the only thing I could focus on right now.

A thought popped into my head when I saw light at the end of the hallway. Katara. Where was she?! What had happened to her?! The last thing I remembered hearing was…The Pocket. My heart dropped when I remembered this information. I opened my mouth, but found my throat dry. Nothing came out. Since I wasn't able to defend myself orally (**hahahaha) **, I started to kick and thrust my body towards the man holding me.

It was useless.

"Hold your butt little man, we're almost there."

I swallowed as much spit as I could and spoke.

"Where?"

His smile was visible as we got towards the most lighted part of the hallway.

"Here."

I was thrown into a light room, landing on something soft. I shook my head and tried to focus on the object I had just landed on. It appeared to be a pile of Fire Nation clothes, bloodied and tattered. Why in the hell would they…

Squinting my eyes, I realized it wasn't just a pile of clothes. It was Katara.

"K-Katara?"

Her eyes shot open, but they weren't the kind, calm blue eyes I had known before. Instead, they were blood-shot, crazy and clueless. As she banged her head against the floor, she mumbled something that I had trouble making out.

"Hot or cold, can't be one, you have to choose…two is not better than one, must decide. Hot burns it up, then water cools it down!"

Katara then cackled, reminded me of Azula.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Won't get to write tomorrow, since I have a track meet, so this will be a good long chapter!**_

_**Chapter 10-Come and Save Me**_

_**Zuko P.O.V**_

I stared at Katara.

Not only was I freaked out by this strange side of her, I was worried too. Very slowly, I edged towards Katara, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Katara?" I choked out, my throat burning. She did not respond. Instead she continued to bang her head against the floor, mumbling something under her breath. I've been through some scary situations, but I think this might have just topped them all.

"Please Katara…look at me."

Katara moved, but did not look at me. Crawling over the side of the room, she brought her knees up, tightly squishing them against her chest. Her entire body was shaking in fear, which made me even more scared. Why was she acting like this? What had they done to her that made her so…vulnerable? I crawled over to her, again noticing the pain in my leg. I didn't dare look down at it. Besides, Katara needed me right now.

"Katara, look at me!"

I said it more sternly, and it finally got her attention. Her eyes snapped towards me, shadows casting over her face. I could now see the cuts and slap marks that I had not seen while she was lying down. Katara's lips were red and bleeding, almost as if…

"Zuko…"

After my name slipped from her cracked lips, she broke down.

"No, no, no!"

The way she said that one word broke my heart. All those moments of strength in the darkest times, all those moments where she pretended like everything was going to be fine, came crashing down on her as Katara realized there was nothing left to hope for. Her sobs echoed the room, her cries could be heard by even those who did not want to hear them. She was choking on her own guilt.

I wrapped my arms around her fragile body, pulling her close to me. Katara had never been one to cry, I knew from chasing her and Aang. Now it didn't seem like any of her inspirational speeches mattered. All her words flew out the window, along with her strength. Katara grabbed my waist tightly, holding onto me for dear life. I tried to block out her tears, but to no avail.

"Shhh…It'll be ok Katara…"

I stroked her hair gently as she continued to cry. "It's over, it's all over." Katara whispered in between sobs. When she looked up at me with those tear-filled blue eyes, I felt a wave of sadness wash over me. These terrible feelings Katara was going through was similar to when I found that my mother had left. Pure sorrow and poignancy. There is no nice way to describe it.

My shirt was soaked with tears, but I didn't mind. She could drown me in a river of tears and I still wouldn't mind. Her lips were shaking as she struggled to find anything to say. It was like she was trying to spit out more tears, but was so overwhelmed with emotion that she couldn't. It hit me straight to the core, and for only the third time in my life, I shed a tear.

Wiping away a few of her tears, I looked her straight in the eyes.

"What did they do to you Katara?"

It came out in barely a whisper, but I knew Katara heard me. Her eyes turned distant and distraught. She looked away from me, her shaky hand touching her lower stomach area. Was she trying to tell me? "What? What happened?" I asked more firmly, wanting to know exactly what happened and who did it. They were going to pay for hurting my Katara. I mean, not my Katara but…

Katara sped more tears, even more emotion raining down inside them. She kept pointing to her lower stomach area, but I didn't understand. What would they…

"They r-raped you?"

Katara fell onto my lap, sobbing even harder than I thought imaginable. My heart stopped beating and my mouth fell open as time seemed to stand still. My brain could not process this information. They had raped and sodomized Katara. Somehow, even though you may not agree, it was worse than being tortured. I had heard stories of women being raped before, and from what I understood, you carry emotional turmoil around for the rest of your life.

Disgust filled my mind.

How in hell could anyone live with themselves after they ruined a young girl's life?! I would be absolutely _appalled _if I had even thought of raping a woman. Katara will never have that pureness and innocence she once had. That is something she can never get back. It was forcibly ripped from her grasp, out of her control. I wanted to throw up so badly, but knew that would only make things worse.

I leaned down and lifted Katara's heartbroken face up to mine.

"Katara, listen to me, ok?"

She looked away in shame, not bothering to wipe her tears away. I moved my head right to where she was looking, forcing her to at least look my way. It hurt me so much to look at her and know that someone had hurt her, but somehow I managed to block that out. "In no way was this your fault Katara." I said stupidly. Of course Katara knew it wasn't her fault! Stupid! Biting my lip nervously, I looked to see her reaction.

"It doesn't matter. Nothing matters."

I shook my head at her, knowing she didn't actually believe what she was saying. I gripped her hands tightly but gently, peering into her ocean eyes. "It matters Katara," I started. "Aren't you always the one talking about having hope? Even when it seems like nothing is going right, you keep going, because you have hope that one day things will change for the better." I said, praying Katara will pop up and be happy again. Honestly though, how could she? In a split second, Katara did pop up, but in frustration and anger.

"That's the point! Everything is going _right_! But not for me, for them! This is exactly what they wanted to happen! They broke me down and brutalized me until I had no faith left to fight. That was the plan along, and guess what? It worked!"

Katara turned away from me and started banging on the door.

"YOU HEAR ME? IT WORKED! YOUR PLAN FREAKING WORKED! ARE YOU SATISFIED YET?"

I grabbed Katara and drug her away from the door, her arms and legs flinging in every direction. I laid her on my lap again, trying to contain her enough that I could continue talking. "Katara, stop!" I yelled loudly, shaking her shoulders. Katara stopped struggling. Everything was happening so fast it was almost confusing, switching these emotions every minute. Katara looked up at me, a confused look on her bloodied face.

Using my finger, I wiped the blood off her forehead, talking to her calmly. "Believe in me Katara," I whispered to her. "Have faith in me." I finished, leaning forward and kissing her forehead. I took a chance on this action; Katara could freak out and start having flashbacks, or she could not do anything. Her skin was still soft, even if she had been beaten only hours ago. Katara did not move, but instead just stared at me.

"Zuko?"

"Yeah Katara?"

She gave me smile. Not a bright, happy smile; a sad, forced smile. There was so much torment digging out from her lips, but somehow Katara contained it. Her smile made my heart start beating again, although I think hers had stopped long ago. Katara reached out and wrapped her arms around me, desperate for consolation. I gave it to her and hugged her tightly.

Who would have ever thought that I would be laying here comforting one of my greatest enemies? I sure didn't see it coming. Maybe I did, a long time ago; maybe I've had these feelings for Katara before. "I know this probably isn't the greatest time for this," I started to say. "But I think you look really beautiful when you cry. It brings out the color in your eyes." I said awkwardly. I never was good at flirting.

Katara chuckled, not a happy chuckle, but at least she didn't get mad at me.

"Thanks. Maybe I should cry more often."

"I disagree with that."

I smiled down at her, glad that she hadn't completely lost her sense of humor. My smile faded when I saw the look in her eyes. "I can never get married now," Katara whispered softly, sadness filling her voice. "I mean, I could technically, but who would want to marry someone who-" She stopped there, more tears flowing down her cheek. It really started to hit me when Katara said this. What if she was pregnant? What if Katara was _pregnant _with that sick man's _child_? The thought sickened me to the point I gagged on my own spit. Someone as strong and great as her deserved more than the life she had. I guess I was partly to blame for that. I made a mental note to punish myself later.

"Any guy worth your time should _never _resent you because of what had happened to you. If he _ever_ holds that against you, kick his ass."

Katara laughed again, a real laugh.

I had never heard such a beautiful sound.

"I didn't know you knew so much about relationships Zuko."

She glanced up at me, an amused grin on her face. The old Zuko would have yelled at her angrily for her comment…but the new Zuko wouldn't. "I'm the prince of the Fire Nation," I started out, smiling at her. "Almost every girl wants to date me." I joked. This was an actual true fact; nearly every girl wanted to date me. It was kind of weird actually. Katara shook her head and wiped her tears away.

"I don't doubt it."

Was Katara…complimenting me? I asked silently. It was an unclear compliment, but I was pretty sure it was one. She sat up before I could come up with a response, touching my scar gently. "What-" Katara held up her hand to stop me. She appeared to be concentrating on something, because she closed her eyes tightly. Her hand moved across my cheek swiftly, and I had a weird feeling that she was doing something to me.

I felt an odd soothing sensation on the left side of my face.

"There…now _every _girl will want to date you."

When I realized what Katara had done, my mouth dropped open. My hand shot up to my face, feeling the now smooth skin where my scar that haunted me for so long used to be. Katara had healed my scar. The scar that had defined my life was now gone, like it had never been there. My heart and soul were soaring higher than the Spirit World right now. I smiled like there was no tomorrow and embraced Katara.

"I can't believe you…"

I could find no words for how happy I felt right now. I was certain I had not felt this cheerful since I was a little boy. Katara had literally healed my heart. My cold, bitter heart was now overwhelmed with hope. _So this is how it feels like to be Katara._

I looked at Katara. The one thing I did not understand was why; why had Katara healed my scar, when the only one needing healing was her? She had just been raped and beaten, but yet she choose to help me. Now I see why my uncle says that women are confusing creatures.

"Why would you do that Katara?"

She gave me a small smile, "My mother taught me that in times of great distress, helping others will help yourself."

I smiled and felt my cheek again.

"How does my face look?"

"It looks…happier."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11-Fallen **_

_**Katara P.O.V**_

Zuko was about to reply when a guard came smashing into the room.

We both looked at him, surprised he had not taken any precautions in opening our cell door.

"The Avatar has fallen."

My heart skipped a few beats as I tried to register what had just been said. It couldn't be Sozin's Comet yet…could it?! I swallowed tightly and looked up at the guard. "W-What?" I asked, my voice shaking. The guard looked annoyed that he had to repeat himself. "Your little friend has failed you." He started, a grin breaking out on his face. "The Avatar fought and lost. Funny part is that he ran away just minutes ago. Disappeared into the unknown." He finished, making my heart shatter into millions of pieces.

My head throbbed again as I turned to Zuko, praying that he was lying. He had to be lying. They always lie. Aang wouldn't lose. He certainly would not have ran away without getting me out of this hell hole. What had happened? Had he been so scared that he forgot how to bend anything? Had he just been too small and young? Questions overwhelmed me.

Zuko turned to me, his expression sorrow.

"Katara, I'm-"

There was a loud bang noise and the guard fell, unconscious, right in front of us. Sokka stood behind him, cuts and bruises covering his almost unrecognizable face. It had not been _that _long since I had seen my brother, but I felt my heart start to pick up the pieces after seeing his face. "Aang lost." He spit out, running over to me and throwing his arms around my body. The pieces fell back down, all traces of hope breaking like a mirror.

I could feel him trying to hold back a sob, and I couldn't help but feel a ounce of pride in my brother. He was trying so hard not to break down in front of me. Sokka knew I needed him. Closing my eyes and hugging him tightly, I finally grasped the fact that Aang lost. Ozai had defeated my friend, whom I had so much faith in. Maybe it was my fault; I should have tried harder to escape. Maybe it was my fault because he needed my support to win.

Sokka leaned back and wiped some of the dirt from my cheek.

"We have to go Katara. Toph and Suki are waiting for us on Appa."

My brain could not process everything that was happening. This was too much for my weak brain to handle. What were we going to do?! What was going to become of us?! Sokka helped me stand up and I jerked away from his grip. "What's the use Sokka?!" I yelled at him, fear and anger stealing my personality. "There's nowhere to hide! We're going to die either way!" I threw my arms around desperately, wondering why he didn't see this situation how I did.

Sokka's face turned sad and he walked towards me, cupping my face in his hands. "Katara, listen to me. We're going to find a place. We are not going to die, okay? I just need you to believe in your older brother right now." He said calmly, looking at me for an answer. "Can you do that?" Sokka asked. I felt my entire body shaking, but I somehow managed to nod my head. "Okay." I replied, following him out of the cell. We had just begun to run down the hallway when Zuko yelled to us. I had almost forgotten he was there. "Wait!" He yelled, chasing after us. I grabbed Sokka's hand and made him turn around. Sokka obviously had some very hard feelings for Zuko, because he glared at him the moment Zuko caught up.

"Go out the left door on the top of the staircase. I'll bet anything the guards are coming in through the right door. You're safe if you go through the left one."

The air was tense as Zuko and Sokka stared at each other. Sokka seemed unsure if he should listen to Zuko's words or not. He glanced over at me, silently asking me what I thought. "Trust him." I said simply, looking over at the prince. I never thought I would ever trust someone like him, but hey, I never thought I would be raped either. Surprises, surprises.

"Let's go."

All three of us ran up the staircase and went to the left, hearing loud footsteps coming from outside the right door. My legs were incredibly sluggish; I was struggling to get over every step without tripping. Zuko laid his hand on my waist, attempting to help my struggling body. I shot him a thankful glance and he returned it, giving me a "I've got you" nod. Sokka must have seen this, because he gave me a confused look.

We had reached the door, but guards' voices could be heard coming up on us.

The cool air hit my face as the door was kicked open by Sokka. Zuko had let go of my waist, causing my unsteady feet to clumsily trip over the first step of the new staircase. My shoulder collided with Sokka, sending both of us flying down the stairs. Not only did I feel terrible, but my pain screamed from my body as we finally found the bottom. Since I had my eyes closed, I could only hear my brother's worried voice.

"Katara! Katara, are you okay?!"

I forced my eyelids to open, the bright light from the orange-looking sun blinding me. Sokka lifted me up, the voices of the soldiers getting louder and louder. Zuko was still standing at the top of the staircase, a torn look on his face as he looked from the on-coming Fire Nation guards running this way, to Sokka and I. "Go! I'll hold them off!" He yelled, motioning us to run. I stared at Zuko, wondering what in hell he was planning to do. There was at least fifty guards charging at him.

Our eyes connected for a second, and I could see the panic and concern in his golden eyes.

I wanted to run to him and tell him I had his back. We could take on the army together. Maybe he could escape with us and we could start a rebellion against the Fire Nation.

Sokka pulled on me and my stare with Prince Zuko was broken.

Zuko P.O.V

_Please let her get away._

My heart was praying the whole time I was fighting off the guards. I was not focused on beating them; I was only focused on fighting them long enough that Katara and the others got away. It was weird how some feelings cause you to do strange and dangerous things. Was this what my mother felt like when she left us?

My discouraged thoughts were interrupted by one of the guards over-powering me. I felt my head smash onto the railing of the staircase, blackness flashing. I forced them to stay open though, not wanting to let them take me easily. The giant man grabbed my head full of hair and ripped me onto my feet. Mental note: where a hood next time you're in a situation like this.

As my vision started to get clearer, I saw Aang's bison fly through the air and into the storm clouds.

At least Katara was safe.

"Take him to his father. I think he'll want to have a word with him."

I had already seen this coming of course. My father may be a dick, but he sure is intimidating. When you didn't know what to do with something or someone, you take them to my father. He was like the snake of a garden; everyone is afraid of him and no one dares to stand up to him. The guards chained my hands together and dragged me from the back of the castle and to the front. I struggled as best I could, but my leg was burning like my scar had when I first received it. Terrible memories flooded back to my mind.

"He is not going to be happy with you when he finds out you let the wench out of her cage."

I spit fire out at the guard, setting his leg on fire. He started squealing like a little girl and kicking his leg in every direction, desperately trying to get the fire out. I smirked to myself as one of the men through water onto him, leaving him soaking wet. The other guards thought it was funny too, but the one guard, the one that I had always despised, did not share their amusement. He kicked me in the cheek, shooting searing pain across my face.

I groaned angrily and glared at the man, my anger boiling up inside of me.

He got down level to my face and frowned at me.

"You're never getting the throne if you keep acting like that _boy."_

I tried to lunge at him, but was pulled back by the other men. The man simply laughed and I was dragged up the stairs. I bet my father was watching from his window, getting a real kick out of his son being dragged against his will so he could punish me. Thank goodness I wasn't anything like him. Well…at least I wasn't anymore.

I tried to focus on the happy thoughts.

Katara and the rest of her friends were safe. For now. The Fire Nation would catch up to them eventually, but I'm sure they'll come up with disguises. Our guards aren't the smartest, so it shouldn't take much. Still, there was something biting at my mind. It wasn't only Katara in danger now; it was the entire nation. Every bender and non-bender was in serious danger now. Aang was the only thing that kept my father from completely taking over every nation. Now that Aang had ran away…he was no longer stopping my father from doing so.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in my father's office.

He was at the window, smiling at something outside. Or maybe he was just admiring his own reflection. For the longest time, he did not say anything at all. For a moment I actually thought he was just going to let me go. Well, I have been wrong before, so I wasn't surprised when my father kicked me in the side. Man, was I getting stomped on today!

"I thought you had lost your honor before my son, but now…now you've really done it."

Hiding the pain I was feeling, I glared up at Ozai. For being disappointed in me, he sure didn't look like it. In fact, he didn't even looked _surprised _that I helped Katara escape. "Your sister is going to get the throne within the next year, once she gets through the training. Do you have anything to say about this?" He asked me sternly. I had over a million things to say about this, but I wasn't in the mood for lecturing my father.

"Only that the Fire Nation better hide their children."

My father smirked, not because he thought it was funny, but because he knew I was trying to keep calm. "Must have gotten that trait from your mother." He grumbled, leaning down beside me. His hand grabbed my chin, lifting my head up so he could see. "No scar? I must say my son, it's been a while since I've actually seen you looking…decent." Ozai sneered, an amused look on his pale, white face.

"That's funny…mom always said I was handsomer than you."

My father grinned, and I got a terrible feeling something bad was going to happen.

"We'll just have to change that, won't we?"

With his hand still on my cheek, a severe burning sensation started to form on the left side of my face. When I realized what was happening, I yelled and started to thrash around, desperately trying to break free of my chains. I could feel the blistering, along with the fresh blood dripping down to my neck. I closed my eyes as tight as I could, hoping this was all a nightmare. An awful, horrifying nightmare.

After what seemed like hours, my father took his hand off my face.

My eye was unable to open, just like last time. My entire body was shaking in pain as I made a note to kill my father someday. Through my good eye, I saw my father open the door, his expression blank.

"Get out."

**Muahahaha! Sorry Zuko, but this was always the plan. At least you got to live scar-free for about…thirty minutes? hahaha Thanks for reading!: ) Keep reviewing!**


	12. Chapter 12

_**What uppppp?! **_

_**How are you all today? I hope you're enjoying this story as much as I am!: )**_

_**Chapter 12-Fastforward**_

_**Zuko P.O.V**_

I walked through the dark streets of the city, listening to all the boring and pointless conversations of the Fire Nation guards. Since I was considered a general and not the son of Ozai, the guards barely ever listened to me. Only when I yelled would they scatter like flies to get where they needed to be. Tonight we were taking the night off and going to a play. Boring, but I was glad to be off duty from imprisoning innocent people.

6 months.

It had been six months since I had last seen Katara. That day at the palace was the last time I ever heard from her. My father kept me in the prison for a month, then when he was sure Aang would not come back, he let me go. Not as his son, the prince, however; as a general. Uncle helped me embrace this new identity, but I was anything but thrilled. My sister was going to be crowned Queen of the Fire Nation, while I would be kicked under the gutters, nothing but a mere memory of disappointment in my father's eyes.

Uncle had opened a tea shop close by to keep me company while I patrolled the city which I had not bothered to learn the name of. Azula would probably change every town name to "Azula-town" or something ignorant like that. Uncle Iroh made a ton of money with his Jasmine tea; since it was known for calming you down, nearly everyone in the town drank it. They all needed some calming down nowadays, even the children.

"What do you think Zuko? Will this play be worth our time?"

Jaho, one of the younger guards who I had taken under my wing, caught up to me as we walked inside of the large building. I shrugged un-emotionally, "I guess we will see." I answered simply. All of the plays I had ever been too were terrible, but I didn't care. Anything that took my mind off of my current situation was something I tried to do as often as possible. Lately it seemed that my mind was always going back to Katara.

I took my seat in the front row, already uninterested in the play. Jaho started blabbering about this beautiful girl that everyone was always talking about that was featured in this play. He was trying to show me a picture of her that was in the hand-out, but I ignored him. My thoughts at the moment were elsewhere.

The curtains opened and my mind was cleared.

It started out as a young blonde woman complaining to her maids about her boyfriend, who still had not proposed to her.

_Oh, wha. Cry me a river._

**(the WHA is like a baby crying, ya know? hahaha) **"I just don't get it!" The girl exclaimed, pacing around the room frantically, while holding up different dresses to her figure. The maids looked extremely annoyed, and I had a feeling they didn't even have to try to look like that. This young lady's voice was extremely high-pitched and disturbing. It was going to be hard to handle that voice for the next few hours.

"That girl is coming up soon."

"Which girl?"

"The one I was telling you about!"

I sighed and put my hand on the bridge of my nose. If this story was all about romance, I was in for a terrible evening. My dark thoughts were interrupted by _her. _She had tan skin, narrow cheek bones, and bright blue eyes. Her body was very thin, but the curves in her hips were still visible. The dress complimented her well; a white, lace-filled floor length dress. It took me second to realize that I knew this girl. This girl was Katara.

Katara.

Katara was here! In the play! She was the beautiful girl that everyone was talking about! As I scanned the room quickly, I could see that all the men were staring at her, their mouths hanging open. The blonde girl must have sensed this as well, because she stepped in front of Katara and flashed a smile. "Well if it isn't my most trustworthy friend!" She said happily, giving her "friend" a kiss on the cheek. Katara looked less than thrilled, but she put on a fake smile that the rest of the audience would surely not doubt.

"Come, let us chat for a moment or two!"

The two girls sat down, while I sat here in my chair, my heart racing.

"What would you like to talk about my dear friend?"

Hearing Katara's smooth voice soothed my empty heart. It been long since I had heard such a collected voice. Most of the time the voices in my head were panicking and afraid; it was a nice change to hear this tranquil voice. I sat straighter in my seat, hoping that Katara would never leave my sight again. The two girls sat down in the chairs and the blonde one gave Katara a sad look. "He still hasn't proposed yet Jill." She said, giving the crowd a worried look.

Jill?! Her name was Jill?! Katara was anything _but _a Jill! They could at least get her a name that suits her!

"Don't worry Leeh! He will propose to you, I know it."

Katara sounded like she was forcing out the words, but I was the only one that seemed to notice. Her friend cheered happily; it sure didn't take much to convince her. If Katara wasn't in this play, I'm sure no one would come, because it was terrible. Leeh jumped out of her chair and started to mumble something about true love or something. I barely heard her. I was too busy staring at Katara.

Time had done her well.

She may be skinner and more miserable looking, but she was no longer that little girl I knew months ago. Who knew puberty could take place within a few months? It took me years to- never mind. Let's not get into that. Anyway, Katara's body was fuller and more pronounced than it had been before. If anything, she looked more beautiful.

"I'm going to find him! Thank you for your advice dear!"

This script was terrible, but I bore through it. The annoying blonde exited the stage, and Katara was left alone. Not for long though. A man with groomed, blonde hair came creeping onto the stage behind a couch, making his way towards Katara, who was not paying attention. He tapped her on the shoulder, "scaring" her so much she jumped out of her seat. The crowd laughed, but I found nothing funny about it.

"What are you doing here? Leeh is searching for you!"

"I had to see you my love."

Wait…did he just call Katara _my love_? I asked myself silently. I understood what was going on the same time as the entire crowd did. Everyone gasped in shock at this realization. The man was cheating on Leeh with her best friend. Typical plays these days. I was not as shocked at this as the rest of the audience was. Normally, I think the audience would have been disgusted by this betrayal, but since Katara was a beautiful woman, they made an exception.

"You can't be here Chi!"

The man named Chi covered Katara's mouth with his hand. That had to have sent Katara in flashbacks, because I could see the fear in her eyes. For a moment I thought she was going to go all crazy-waterbender on his ass, but she didn't. I was a little disappointed. Something was chewing on my mind, however. If Katara was still having flashbacks about what happened to her, her mind was still damaged. This worried me.

"Leeh is just like a dying sheep; annoying and loud."

The crowd again laughed, but again, I did not.

"Your heart is the only one I desire Jill." Chi said, kissing her on the cheek lightly. I scowled at the action; I bet that man had no _idea _how privileged he was to be able to do that to Katara. Katara faked her next emotion, smiling and trying to make it look like she was happy. "Chi-" she started, getting interrupted by a loud noise off stage. Chi ran away without another word, leaving "Jill" standing there alone.

"I cannot find him!"

The blonde was back, and the girls in the audience gasped at how close she was to walking in on them. I think I would have enjoyed this play a lot more if she would have. Then Katara could beat her up and get the guy, or something like that. For the next five scenes, nothing else really happened. Nothing had to happen; I was still in awe that I had found Katara after so many months. My father had not sent anyone after them, but I remember having a feeling that they were still not safe. I was overjoyed inside that I had found her, unharmed.

Jaho continued to talk through the entire play, but I managed to shut him up when Katara came back onto stage.

It was one of the last scenes of the play, and I had a feeling something bad was about to take place.

Katara and Chi were dancing at a ball, neither of them worrying about Leeh walking in. They should have been more careful. Leeh walked in on them right as they were about to kiss, which was the even the audience had been waiting for since the beginning. Katara and the maids looked scared when Leeh got an angry look on her make-up covered face.

"Chi? What's…"

She stopped talking and just stared at Katara.

"How could you?! You tried to steal my soon-to-be-husband! You were my best friend! Why?!"

The men in the crowd started yelling, knowing that it wasn't actually Katara's idea to start this affair. We had learned this information in an earlier scene. Chi, however, did not stand up for Katara. Instead, he walked over to Leeh and put his best "it wasn't my fault" look. "I'm sorry Leeh…she made me do it." Chi said, causing an even greater outburst in the crowd.

Katara looked horrified, and again, I didn't think it was acting.

"Chi made me! Please Leeh, believe me! I didn't want to betray you! I've been your friend since we were little!"

Leeh and Chi turned away from her, ignoring her pleas. "Guards!" Leeh yelled angrily. "Sentence her to adultery and hang her!" She yelled, fake Fire Nation guards walking out onto stage and grabbing Katara. As they led her away, I couldn't help but feel a sudden urge to go help her. We had been in situations like that before, and I felt obligated to help my friend.

I gritted my teeth as Katara came back to the scene in chains.

"Jill, you are here by sentenced to death for betraying your best friend and committing adultery!"

"I didn't do anything wrong! He made me do it!"

Chi did not show any emotion. He simply stood by Leeh and watched the man pull the rope up, ready to let it fly down to Katara's neck. It wasn't real, I know, but I had a feeling I would have a mental breakdown if they made blood shoot out of Katara's neck. In fact, I would probably throw up if they made that happen.

They didn't, and Leeh and Chi walked off the stage happily.

Katara P.O.V

Was it him?

Could it be Zuko? Is it even possible that he would be here? I wondered as I got ready for the next scene. I would look at him in the next scene, and then I would know. The men lead me out in chains for the next scene, shutting the lights off for effect. This scene was the one I hated most.

The other actors behind the curtain started screaming and howling in pain, just like they were supposed to. This scene was the favorite of the director; he said it showed just how personal and un-honorable adultery was. I was being condemned to hell.

The red lights showered over my "bloody" body, the hands from the others under the stage grabbing my ankles and pulling. The eerie screams continued, and I scanned the audience for that face again. My eyes stopped when I saw a pair of yellow, dazzling eyes staring at me. It was exactly who I thought it was: Zuko. Zuko was here.

Our eyes locked tightly, after so many months alone. Those eyes I had begin to love seeing were here in my life again, as I was being condemned to hell. The lights grew darker and darker, and Zuko's eyes became less visible. My heart ached painfully, and I wished I could just jump off the stage and embrace him. But I could not.

The lights went off, and I was left in the dark.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Your little piece of heaven, turns to dark,**_

_**Listen to your heart,**_

_**when he's calling for you, listen to your heart,**_

_**there's nothing else you can do.**_

_**Adorable chapters coming up :) YAY ZUTARA**_

_**Chapter 13-Listen to Your Heart**_

_**Zuko P.O.V**_

"I have to get backstage."

As soon as Katara was out of my sight, I panicked. Jaho turned me and grinned, "I know right! All those girls are _hot_!" He exclaimed, jumping up from his seat happily. I rolled my eyes and pushed through the crowd of people, my heart jumping with excitement. This was my chance to talk to one of my only friends in months. I didn't even care that the more stuck-up people were giving me dirty glares. Dodging all the bodies, I finally made my way to backstage, where all of the actors were laughing and joking around.

"Katara you were amazing!"

"Yeah Katara! You did great!"

Although I heard many voices saying Katara's name, I could not see her anywhere. What if she already left? What if she doesn't want to see me? What then? I tried to push doubts out of my mind as I scanned the room, searching for the blue-eyed beauty. There was so much make-up in the air, making it hard to see anything; costumes were also being flung around the room carelessly, the actors already getting drunk. I stopped in the middle of the crowd, starting to lose hope that I would find her tonight. Maybe tomorrow…tomorrow maybe I can see her.

A hand was laid across my shoulder.

"Zuko?"

My head snapped around to see Katara standing there with a small, sad smile on her flawless skin. (**Who knew Zuko would ever use that word?Flawless hahaha) ** For the first time in months, I smiled. Katara threw her arms around me, gripping the back of my neck tightly. When she touched my skin, I felt warmer than I had ever been before. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, sucking in the scent of her ocean scented hair. My hands went down to her waist, pulling her close to my body.

This was probably the most affection I've had in years. Besides my uncle, of course, with his strange ways.

The hug ended all too quickly, and Katara peered up at me happily. "It's so nice to see you." She said, almost in a whisper. I don't remember her voice being that soft before, but it still had that magical sound to it as it was months ago. "It's nice to see you too," I replied, struggling to find the words. I probably looked like an idiot. "You were-uh-great up there!" I tried to say cheerfully. Katara smiled, revealing her still glossy, perfect teeth.

"Thank you."

We stood there, Katara's hand still on my arm, just looking at each other awkwardly. I felt like all the eyes on the room were on us, even though no one else was paying attention. My hands were sweating and I felt nerves start to set in. For the first time in forever, **(I FINALLY UNDERSTAND!:) hahahaha) **I felt butterflies in my stomach. I must be going soft…I, Prince Zuko, just used the word butterfly. I guess the war does that to you.

"What are you in town for?"

The question was so sudden I almost didn't understand what she said.

"We've been stationed here for the last two months. My father-well I guess you could say he disowned me."

Katara chuckled, but not in an amusing way. Kind of like she saw that coming. "I'm guessing he did that to you too?" Katara said, nodding to my scar with a sad look. I nodded, but tried to lift the conversation to a higher note. "Yeah…guess I just was meant to look like a creepy clown!" It was a terrible joke; I really should have used one of Uncle Iroh's lines. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Katara laughed anyways.

"I guess so!"

We paused again, but this time I thought quicker.

"You look um…great! Have you grown?"

Katara nodded as the people brushed past us. This really wasn't the right place to be having this conversation. It was awkward and just weird. "Few inches. Almost as tall as you now." She teased, a grin flashing for a quick second across her face. I grinned right back and rolled my eyes, "Yeah right!" I replied as a crowd of people walked between us. We tried not to lose eye contact through the people, but it was almost impossible.

Just as I was about to ask her out for some tea, Katara opened her mouth.

"I'm so sorry Zuko, but I have to go to work. Maybe I can see you tomorrow? We could meet up around sunset if you would like." 

Disappointment shadowed over my heart, but I covered it up with a little sun. "That would be great! I'll meet you at my uncle's tea shop! At sunset!" I said, sounding like a total nerd. Katara smiled brightly, making all the doubts fade away. She hugged me quickly, but that quick hug made me smile uncontrollably. Katara started to jog away and I waved to her.

"See you then Zuko!"

"Bye!"

She walked out of my sight, and I must have stood there for at least half an hour. I guess having a crush on someone has that affect on you. My thoughts of Katara were interrupted by Jaho and the rest of the army bumping into me. "Hey buddy!" Jaho said, obviously drunk like the rest of them. Guess I hadn't taught him well enough. Getting drunk with a large group of people is a recipe for disaster.

"We're all going to the Gucci, Zuko! Come with us!"

Although his voice was slurred and hard to understand, I was pretty sure it wasn't a request.

I was right.

One of the bigger men picked me up and threw me over their shoulder as the rest of the men cheered and started singing. I was surrounded by complete idiots. It was more like suffocated with idiots. Either they ignored you, or they were all over you all the time. Don't take that the wrong way. They just could get super annoying and clingy. I'm sure now that they had no idea what they were doing, those traits would be amplified.

As much as I tried to struggle out of the man's grip, I could not get loose. They took me all the way across town to Gucci's bar, stumbling and tripping all over their dignity. "Down you go little man!" The guy carrying me said, putting me on the ground and patting my head. I glared at him harshly, but he didn't even see. I turned around and tried to leave, but the other soldier's grabbed me and drug me into the bar, where all eyes turned on us.

"Have a sit gentlemen! Front row, yes?"

An old man led us to the front of the room, where there was just enough seats for all of us. I silently cursed this and sat down next to Jaho. They were acting like complete hooligans, but there wasn't anything I could do to stop it. So I sat there, waiting for the perfect opportunity to ditch this place and go to my uncle's tea shop. I rubbed my temples hard, wondering why I did this. Oh yeah, it's because my father hates my guts and wishes I had never been born!

"Give it up for Katara and the crew!"

My head shot up as ten girls started walking onto stage. None of them were Katara so far. Why in the hell had they said-

There she was.

Katara had emerged from the back of the stage, making her way to the middle. She had a black, extremely short dress with a train on it; it was very revealing, and I wondered if they hadn't cut the top lower so it would look like she had some work done. It was ridiculous, I know, to perform such dangerous operations just for bigger breasts. That was another reason why I hated Fire Nation girls…they always had those done. They were nothing but fake.

Shock emerged in my thoughts. Here was Katara, the girl who had been violated and harassed by Fire Nation guards, now a dancer for Fire Nation guards? It made no sense to me why she would go into something this…un-honorable. Katara just did not seem like the type of woman to do this. She was so independent and strong; so what made her want to do this?

_Maybe she doesn't want to do this shit head._

I shook my head, trying to stop my head from spinning. As soon as the music started, I left. My heart could not take seeing Katara in such a state. Don't get me wrong, she looked really-beautiful- but due to the reasons behind this career, I could not stay. I could not watch Katara give up hope like that.

Katara P.O.V

Another shift, another night wasted.

This was my life now. No use to rebel; they would just kill you or send you to jail. There was nothing left in my world…nothing left but hatred and fear.

But then Zuko was here. Zuko had been here for the past few months and I hadn't even known it! I should have looked for him or something! The only friends I have are the other actors from the play and a few little kids that I take care of from time to time. Toph was off somewhere, trying to get more groups to join a rebellion. She had already tried this twice, but she was determined to win. Sokka was off somewhere with the rest of the watertribe, searching for a place where we can go where there is no Fire Nation. And Aang…well, let's just say he is unresponsive.

As I walked through the dark streets, I let my thoughts drift back to Zuko. His scar was back again, which didn't surprise me. He still had the same shaggy, dark hair hanging across his forehead. When we were hugging, I felt more muscles and strength than there was six months ago. It impressed me how boys could get so muscular and tough like that so quickly. I smiled in the darkness as I thought of Zuko's awkward, but sweet, attempts to start a conversation. It seemed like he hadn't actually had a conversation with someone that wasn't about war.

I made my way to my mountain right outside of town, just before the city wall. I go here every night and think about what I should do. So far, I have come up with nothing. Tonight will be different; now that Zuko is back, maybe I can think of some crazy idea or plot. Sighing, I sat down on the green, mossy grass, letting the cool water sooth my anxiety. At least water always had my back.

It was quiet.

No birds chirping, no wind blowing, nothing. It was a peaceful silence I had not heard in months. My heart stopped thumping loudly, letting me calm down a little. A voice sped it right back up again.

"Come here often?"

I turned in the darkness, my eyes focusing on the person in front of me. I could make out Zuko's narrow face, so I smiled and motioned him over. "Every day." I answered as he sat down next to me. The moonlight reflected nicely off of his gold eyes, making it almost look like actual gold. Now, I'm no behavior specialist, but I could tell Zuko was upset about something. I let the next few minutes be silent before I asked anything.

"How are you Zuko? Honestly, on a scale of one to ten, how depressed are you?"

I asked it slightly jokingly, slightly serious. Zuko shrugged, his face not showing signs of any emotion. "I'd say about an eleven." He said seriously, making me look away. Not a good way to start a conversation. Zuko peered over at me, his scar lit up by the moon. "What about you? Considering your two new jobs, I'd say you'd have to be at a twelve." He said quietly, almost as if he didn't want to say it.

Two jobs…

Shit.

"You saw that huh?" I answered, looking down shamefully. I hoped Zuko knew me well enough to know that I didn't want to do anything like that; it was just how things worked out. "Well, just so you know, I don't exactly enjoy doing it." I added, feeling very let down. I had replayed this over and over in my head, but I could never find a way out of it. Without that money…I had nothing. Zuko laid his surprisingly soft hand on mine and I dared to look up at him.

"I know. The war has changed a lot of people."

"Truest thing I have ever heard Zuko. Didn't know you turned into a poet now."

I smiled over at him and hit him with my shoulder playfully. It felt so good to joke around with someone I actually knew. Well, I didn't know him _that _well, but you get the point. Zuko smiled a sad smile and looked up at the moon, his hand still on mine. Something I had always admired Zuko for; he always came through. Forgetting the times I always thought he had changed and then he went ahead and betrayed me. Other than that, he always came through for me.

Like today.

Today had been one of the worst days of my life until I saw him in the crowd. My heart had soared since that moment. If you don't get what I'm saying, just picture your best friend: you haven't seen them, laughed with them, or even talked to them for six months. Think of how miserable that would be. I laced my fingers through Zuko's timidly, giving him my brightest smile.

"It's so good to see you Zuko. Really, I'm glad you're here."

He returned the smile and squeezed my hand tighter.

"Would you like to go for some tea, Katara?" 


	14. Chapter 14

_**How many times do I have to tell you,**_

_**even when you're crying you're beautiful too.**_

_**The world is beating you down,**_

_**I'm around through every mood**_

_**\- All of Me, John Legend**_

_**Chapter 14-No Surprise**_

_**Zuko P.O.V**_

"Hey Uncle."

My uncle turned around, a bright smile on his cheeky face. It brightened up even more when he saw Katara. "Katara my dear! How wonderful to see you!" He said excitedly, like a child on Christmas morning. Iroh waddled towards her and embraced her in a tight hug. I smiled, realizing this was the happiest I had seen him in a while. Sure, he was always his happy self, but it was a sad happy. Like a single candle in the middle of a wind storm. Katara certainly seemed ecstatic that he was still making tea.

"Come in! I'll go make a pot of Jasmine tea!"

I led Katara to a table while Uncle Iroh went into the kitchen. We sat down, and I watched as Katara investigated the shop. "This is a lovely shop," she started, touching the table cloth softly. "It's the lightest thing I have seen since the war." A sad, small smile crept to her face. I nodded, agreeing with that statement. Darkness was everywhere, which was why I always visited my uncle. He was the lightest, most joyful person left in my world.

"Not the lightest thing."

I glanced up at Katara, hoping she would get what I was trying to say. She understood; her cheeks flushed a dark red and she looked down at the table shyly. Iroh whisked into the room holding three cups of tea. The moment it touched my lips I instantly felt relaxed. This stuff really did work. How did he do it? I wondered, setting down my beautifully crafted cup. Katara looked like she was in heaven.

"Iroh…I don't think I have ever tasted something so good in my entire life."

Uncle blushed; he _blushed. _I found this extremely surprising because he never gets embarrassed about anything. I guess Katara had that affect on people. "Just trying to lighten the air my dear." Uncle said, taking a sip of his own tea. My heart wouldn't let me stop looking at Katara. Iroh must have noticed, because he grinned at me, then looked over at Katara. "So what are you kids up to?" He asked, winking at me.

The blood rushed to my face and I shot my uncle a glare.

The war may have had an effect on me, but it didn't change the fact that I had a temper.

"I ran into Katara earlier and asked if she wanted to catch up later." I explained, watching Katara's lips glide across her cup. "Ah," Iroh said. "And what has my nephew told you about his new life Katara?" He asked her, a sneaky look on his wrinkled face. Katara raised an eyebrow at him, also noticing that he was up to something. "Well…not much." She replied shortly. "I just told her I was working as a general." I cut in, not wanting him to ask questions. Knowing him, he probably thought I told her something completely different because I was ashamed. The truth was…I had nothing to be ashamed of anymore. Since I was no longer considered a prince, I had no weight on my shoulders.

Iroh smiled and took a tip of his tea, apparently pleased that I had told the truth.

"What have you been up to Katara? Been practicing your bending?"

Katara's face got stiff and she gripped her cup a little tighter. This must be a painful subject for her, considering what practicing your bending was banned in all the nations but the Fire Nation. "I haven't practiced much, but whenever I'm completely alone I do a little." Katara said quietly, so no one outside would hear her. Uncle nodded sorely, knowing how much bending meant to Katara. "I suppose with the new law it's nearly impossible right?" He asked her.

Katara nodded sadly, tracing the outline of her cup with her finger. I cleared my throat and tried to change the subject. "How's business uncle?" I asked quickly, taking another sip of my tea. My uncle's face lit up and he started to ramble on and on about his tea shop. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to ask about his tea. After about ten minutes of talking about different kinds of teas, Iroh finally changed the subject.

"Katara, I hate to ask you about this dear but…how is Aang?"

The name Aang caught my attention.

Katara didn't answer directly; instead she answered it with a question.

"Would you like to see him?"

The question hung in the air like a man getting his death sentence. I looked at my uncle, and he looked right back at me. Aang must be hidden somewhere close. Or else she wouldn't ask us if we wanted to see him. I nodded shortly, curious to see the boy that I had chased for so many reasons. What had become of him? What did he do every day? Many questions swarmed through my head as Katara lead us outside.

Katara P.O.V

"It's just around the corner."

I led Iroh and Zuko up the mountain where Aang was hidden. Toph had found him on one of her journeys around the nations. Aang was no longer the Aang we knew and loved however. There was nothing there anymore; no emotion, no feelings, nothing. He was like a turtle without a shell. No matter how many times you pleaded with him to just say something, he wouldn't.

I jumped over the fallen tree that lead straight to the cave, where I knew Aang would be sitting. "In here." I said, motioning Zuko and Iroh over. I held open the tree door, not excited for what was about to come next. They had no idea how much hurt just looking at Aang caused me. To know that he is completely broken inside.

I drug my feet into the cave, my heart filled with dread. Clearing my throat, I stepped towards Aang and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Aang! I brought some people here to see you!"

Aang's hair had grown over his arrows, and I hadn't cut it, in case someone were to stumble upon him. The arrows would give it away and he would be killed. If he wasn't dead already, that is. Aang had not eaten since that day, I was pretty sure. The weird part was that he didn't look any skinner. I guess when you're the Avatar you can afford to skip a few meals.

I motioned for Zuko and Iroh to come forward. I stood up and walked a few feet away, not knowing If I could take seeing Aang not respond again.

"Hey Aang. I know this is probably really weird since the last time I saw you I was trying to capture you but…I just wanted to drop by and say hi."

Silence.

Zuko glanced back at me through the darkness, a confused look on his face.

"He didn't reply?"

"No surprise. Aang hasn't moved, said, or done anything in six months." I explained, pain flowing out of my voice. I hated talking about my best friend like this. It was like he was dead…but he was still here. It made me want to throw up. Zuko turned back to Aang, staring at him with a sad look. Iroh kneeled down on his old-man knees and smiled at Aang.

"Hello young Avatar. It's nice to see you again. I hope you will wake up soon; we're in desperate need of your saving. The Fire Nation is well-in control of everyone. Not you though; you've always been one to break the rules, huh?" Iroh said jokingly. A smile almost crept to my face, but I held it down. If I smiled, I would think back to all the laughs I had with Aang, and then I would break down in front of Zuko and Iroh.

"I'll come back soon to visit you. Goodbye Aang."

Iroh and Zuko stood up, both having sullen looks on their faces. I didn't anymore. After six months of talking and getting nothing, I had stopped trying to communicate. I come every day, leave food, then leave. This was my daily routine now; I had a terrible feeling every time I came up here that this was what I would be doing for the rest of my life.

"You want us to leave so you can talk to him?"

"No." I answered a little too quickly. Iroh and Zuko looked at me, surprised and slightly shocked looks on their faces. I shifted uncomfortably against the cave wall. "I mean…let's just go before someone finds us." I covered up, hurrying out of the cave. The cool air hit my face hard, but it wasn't anything I wasn't used to. The cool air was like my thoughts; short and suffocating.

I heard Zuko and Iroh walk up behind me, so I broke my train of thoughts.

"Let's go home."

Zuko P.O.V

It shocked me how harsh Katara was.

It was only on her face for a moment, but I could still see the pain and suffering hidden underneath her skin. We walked back to the tea shop in complete silence, Katara leading the way. Uncle said he was going to bed, so we said our goodbyes and parted ways. It was just Katara and I now.

"Would you like me to walk you home?"

"Okay."

Katara was no longer trying to cover her feelings. She kicked every rocks she saw and would sigh every two minutes. After a while I got over my fear of an angry Katara and spoke up. "What's bothering you Katara?" I asked softly, peering over at her bright blue eyes that were now filled with tears. Katara shook her head and took a deep breath, looking up at the moon. Her lips were shaking, along with her hands, and it almost appeared that she was going to break down any second.

"It's just…hard you know? Seeing your best friend like that. He doesn't even know you're there. You just keep trying, like everyone says to do, but it doesn't work. Why is the world like that, Zuko?"

Her words were barely audible through the wind, but the pain rose the tone higher. Why was the world like that? I asked myself. I had been wondering about that question for a long time now. Laying a hand on Katara's back, I tried to give her the best explanation I could.

"Maybe some things are just meant to stay broken for a while so they can fix themselves later."

Katara looked up at me, the tears now streaming down her face rapidly. She laid her head into my shoulder, grabbing me tightly. Normally, I would enjoyed this situation; but not now. Not when the girl that I had grown to care for was sobbing in fear of the world never changing.


	15. Chapter 15

_**Heeey peeps. Sorry to say I gotta put this story on hold for about 2 weeks. Until school is over! I'm just super busy and stuff so I won't have time to write good chapters.**_

_**Sorry: (**_


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